Meeting Dick Grayson
by Culinary-Alchemist
Summary: After the death of his parents, Dick finds himself alone. After running away from where he is now living, he meets Bruce Wayne. Feeling sympathetic to the boy Bruce take Dick in under his wing. Dick has found out Bruce's secret, but does that mean his life is safe? Especially when he joins his guardian in protecting Gotham?
1. Fateful Meeting

There were not enough beds in the orphanage to take in new orphan Richard Grayson. He was sent to Gotham Detention Center, where they kept the troubled boys. This wasn't the place for a boy in his situation. Dick's situation was more delicate than the boy realized.

Dick shared a room with three other boys, all of whom were older than him, none of them were sympathetic to the eight-year-old boy's situation. When Dick closed his eyes he saw his parents falling, he would always wake up crying, he would then try and catching himself by shoving his head under his pillow, but in the end waking up his roommates usually never ended well. Even if they kept quiet during the night the still found a way to make his life a living hell.

Dick couldn't take it anymore, he wasn't sleeping anyway, why did he have to stay here? He knew he would never sleep well until he got justice for his parents. He saw the man who was involved in their deaths; the police were no help. Dick told them everything he knew, and still nothing, if they wouldn't do anything maybe he could. Dick went to the small dresser by his bed and dug around quietly until he found a black hoodie. It was over sized on his small body. He pulled the hood over his head and slowly and quietly crossed the small room to the window. He was on third floor, but here was a drain spout near the window. It would be easy for the acrobat to scale down the building and to the ground. Getting up would be a different story, but he didn't want to worry about that now.

Once the window was open Dick stretched over to the drain pipe. Once he was on it the young acrobat shimmied down and landed easily on the sidewalk below. He didn't know Gotham; he didn't really know any city. Dick didn't even know where to start. Maybe the first thing he needed was a weapon. If Gotham's adults were anything like the boys in detention center with him he would need to defend himself.

Dick had learned how to pickpocket (much to his parent's displeasure) from some of the older children of the Haly's Circus. No one would suspect him, he was small under sized boy who looked lost. Dick walked and observed what was going on. He needed to pick the right person. He shoved his hands in the pocket of the hoodie and started to wander the streets of Gotham.

He walked his his head slightly lowered, but he kept an eye on everyone. Looking for the perfect opportunity; he saw one. There was man in his late twenties, Dick took a chance that this man had something worth stealing. Dick pretended to trip and stumbled into the man, while he did he slipped his hand quickly into the man's jacket, but the street savvy man felt Dick's hand slip into his pocket and quickly grabbed Dick by the wrist with one hand, with the other he drove a pocket knife into Dick's side.

Dick gasped as the man twisted the knife and pulled it back out. The man the shoved the boy back causing him to stumble to the ground. Breathing heavily Dick brought his right hand over to cover his left side, he pulled his hand away, and looked down at his blood covered hand. He didn't know what to.

"Help…" Dick mumbled as he shakily stood up. He started stumbling forward to try and find some to help him. "Please."

* * *

No one came to help the young boy and he continued to stumble down the street. He lost the ability to move his body anymore and fell forward into a well dressed man. The man quickly turned around to see what happened, that's when he saw the pale boy bleeding on the sidewalk. Without even caring about his suit he picked the boy up and ran over to the car that waiting for him.

"Master Bruce?" A older man spoke with a British accent.

Bruce go into the car with the boy in his arms without another word. The British man closed the door behind his master, then got into the driver's seat.

"Let's get him to Leslie, Alfred. He's loosing blood quickly."

"Yes sir, Master Bruce. Straight away." He put the car into drive and started to leave. "And do you plan on telling me what is going on?"

"The boy was stabbed." Bruce said flatly while keeping pressure on Dick's injury with one hand and checked his pulse with the other. The boy had a weak pulse, but thankfully he was still alive.

"Clearly. Just keep him alive until we can get him to Leslie." Alfred chided.

* * *

It did not take long to arrive at Leslie's clinic. Alfred didn't even have time to stop the car before before Bruce opened the door and got out of the car with boy in his arms. Bruce knew the boy was getting weaker the more blood he lost. Just in the short car ride the boy's heart began to ease and he breathing quickened.

"Leslie!" Bruce called opening the door and rushing the boy into the clinic.

"Bruce!" She said seeing the son of her old friend holding an injured boy in his arms. "Lay him here. What's going on? Who is he?" She asked the questions quickly while getting the supplies she needed to help her new patient.

"He collapsed into me on the street." Bruce explained laying the patient down on a bed.

Dr. Tompkins let out a heavy sighed as she helped the young boy. She was just happy the boy didn't get hurt because of the Bruce's alternate life.

Dr. Tompkins used scissors to cut away the shirt so she got her better access to the stab wound so she could clean it and then stitch it up. The trio of adults were shocked various degrees of bruises on his chest. Was he abused? Was that why he was running?

Leslie got the bleeding to stop on the stab wound to Dick's side. Luckily the knife missed any major organs, but he lost a great deal of blood and because of it Dick was still unconscious and was now running a high fever.

"We need to find out where he belongs, I am sure his parents are missing him." Leslie said straightening out some strands of raven hair on the boy's head before adjusting the cold cloth on his forehead.

"His parents could be why he's running," Bruce said darkly, thinking about the bruising.

"We still need to find out who this poor boy is, Master Bruce." Alfred said said trying to reason with him.

"Something is familiar about him," Leslie said looking down at him. "I've got a friend in the G.C.P.D I am going to contact him and see if he can help us out. Stay here with him I will make a phone call." Leslie got up and left the room.

Bruce looked at the boy. He didn't know why he wanted to help as much as he was. He could have just taken him to Gotham General and left him.

Dick started to moan in pain. He was started to wake up. "Mom...dad..." he started to breath heavily, his heart started to race. "No!" He screamed twisting around in the bed.

"Get Leslie!" Bruce said to Alfred. The butler did as he was told while Bruce put a hand on each of the boy's shoulder's so he could stop him ripping his stitches and tried talking to the struggling child.

"No! No!" The boy cried out. His eyes flew open he looked at Bruce with a pair of sad tear filled blue eyes.

"It will be okay. You're safe here," Bruce said gently taking his hands off Dick's shoulders.

"W-where..am..I?" Dick asked struggling to sit up now that he was free.

"Lay down, you were stabbed it will hurt more if you sit up." Bruce tried to be gentle, but firm.

Leslie and Alfred came rushing into the room. Leslie grabbed her stethoscope and went to the Dick's bed side.

"Hello, good too see you awake," She smiled gently down at the boy. "I'm Doctor Leslie Tompkins, can you tell me your name?" She asked as she started to examine the boy.

"Dick…Grayson…"

"As in The Flying Grayson's?" Bruce asked.

Dick closed his eye and tried to suppress more tears. "Yes," his voice cracked.

Bruce, Alfred, and Leslie all knew the story about what happened to the Grayson's. After all their deaths did occur here in Gotham. Bruce was even planning on seeing the show, but something came up and he missed it. Maybe his path was supposed to cross with this boy.

"Nice to meet you Dick," Leslie smiled. "You are at my clinic, and safe here. These are my friends Alfred and Bruce. They brought you here. We all want to help you, but right now what I want is you to rest. Sleeping with help ease the pain you are in." Leslie took the cloth that was on his head and dipped into the bowl of cold water and replaced it on Dick's forehead. Everything check out with Dick; beside the fever and stab wound.

"It will be okay Dick. It may not seem like it. I promise you it will get better. I know how you feel." Bruce said trying to be gentle with the boy.

"People say that…but they don't know…" Dick said mumbling his words as he tried to fight the sleep that was threatening to take over.

"But I do. When I was several years older than you I watched my parents murdered in front of me. The pain you feel now, will get better."

"Do the nightmares go away?" Dick said softly still fighting the sleep. Dick wanted to know so badly when he would stop seeing his parents fall to their deaths when he closed his eyes.

Bruce rubbed Dick's shoulder. "Get some rest we can talk later okay?"

"I don't want to close my eyes…" Dick pleaded. He was scared, and Bruce could tell he knew the fear that was in Dick's eyes. He knew what it was like to see his parents die in front of him every time he closed his eyes. Now he knew he was meant to help this boy.

"I'll be right here if you when you wake up again, even if it's from a nightmare. I will be here when you wake up." Bruce said reassuring Dick.

Dick moaned and nodded and he slowly closed his eyes and let himself fall back to sleep. Bruce stayed with Dick, while Alfred went to clean the car and Leslie went to make a phone call to find out where Dick was staying.

* * *

Leslie came back into the room Bruce was anxiously looking out the window. Bruce Wayne promised the scared boy that he would be there when he woke up, but Batman could not take a night off, maybe be could slip off for an hour. Alfred and Leslie were here, they could watch him. In the condition Dick was in it wasn't likely he would wake up until morning, he would never know Bruce was gone.

"Bruce?" Leslie called out. "I've contact Gotham General they will be sending an ambulance to pick up Dick and in the morning he will be going back to the detention center if he's stable enough."

"What?" Bruce turned around quickly, "you can't do that! I thought he could stay here."

"Bruce, there is only so much I can do for him here by myself. Beside I need to sleep unlike you. There will be no one to properly watch him here. At the hospital there will always be someone, you can stay there if you want as well."

"Alfred can watch him…I..." Bruce was torn. He wanted to stay with Dick, but he also wanted to get justice for his parents.

"We both know that you cannot stand leaving Gotham with out its protection for even one night. Bruce why does this boy mean so much to you? You don't even know him." Leslie said seeing Bruce's hesitation.

"Because he's like me…" Bruce sadly.

"And what you think you can care for the boy?" Leslie said with the feeling that Bruce was contemplating taking Dick in. "You can't do that to him. You can't give him a chance to have a family knowing it could very easily be taken away from him. Your night life isn't the safest. How many times have I already seen you injured in a bed like this? You can't knowingly bring this boy into that world. It won't be fair."

"I'm not going out for me tonight. I'm going out for Dick." Bruce's voice was firm.

"Bruce, anyone could have stabbed him, he's staying at a detention center, he most likely got into a fight; several by the looks of it."

"Not those people. The person who took his parents away from him. I found the police report statement. It mentioned a man who tried to get money from the circus. Protection money. The circus refused to pay." Bruce looked out the window clenching his fist.

"His parents deaths were not accidents," Leslie gasped.

"No they weren't. I've sent Alfred to get my supplies. I'm going to bring this man to justice. I won't let him suffer the years of pain like me. It was hell knowing my parents killer was still out there. I won't let that happen to Dick. He deserves the closure of knowing the man who killed his parents is brought to justice."

"Bruce, I need you to listen to me." She walked over and put on hand gently on his shoulder. "I know what you went through with your parents deaths, I also know the killer was never found. Right now you are-"

"That's not true!" Bruce said not letting her finish. He knew she was going to say. That by finding the murder of John and Mary Grayson that in some way it would be closure for Bruce too, it was not, Bruce knew that would be no closure for himself. "It's the reason I tried to kill myself when I was a kid. It's the reason I protect this damn city every night. I will not let that happen to him!"

* * *

Alfred slipped in through the back door. He heard just enough. Bruce never talked about the attempt on his own life he was a young boy. The subject was dropped before it was even spoken about. Bruce never willing brought up that subject. It was clear to the old butler that he really did want to protect Dick. Even if he didn't not know exactly how he wanted to do it.

Leslie let the conversation end. She knew just as well as Alfred what happened in the dark years of Bruce's youth. She simply placed a hand on Bruce's arm showing that she understood. While she may not agree with they way he was going to handle the situation, she knew it was something she could not stop him from doing.

"Master Bruce," Alfred said showing the duffle bag in his hand. "I will stay here and watch over the boy. You do what you need. Though I will be calling you when he wakes up. I do seem to recall Bruce Wayne made him a promise."

"Thank you Alfred." Bruce took the bag and disappeared into the back.

"You're really going to let him do this?" Leslie said looking at the door Bruce disappeared behind.

"I have found it is best to let him do as he pleases. There is no talking him out of it. Trust me on this I have tried. I gave up years ago."

* * *

 **A/N: What do you think? This was crazy little idea that came into my head one night. How do you think the change of how they meet will effect them?**

 **I have other Robin-centric fics that are Young Justice so feel free to check them out. Each review and favorite/follow is appreciated. Until next chapter!**


	2. The Great Escape

Bruce sat still on the roof, if anyone were to look up right now no one would even notice he was there, and that's just the way he wanted it. He was looking for Tony Zucco; the man who was responsible for John and Mary Grayson's deaths. Bruce knew what Dick was feeling, and he wanted to help him.

Bruce tracked down any know criminal he could find and aggressively asked them for Tony Zucco. No one was provided him with the answer he wanted.

Batman held a mid level criminal over the edge of the dock securely by his shirt. "Tell me where I can find Tony Zucco!" He commanded. This was the third time he asked the same man the question, but this time the location was different.

"I don't know! I swear!" The man said panic filled his eyes and he tried to hold onto Batman for fear of falling.

Batman let out a low growl and moved the man back over try land and roughly put him back on dry land. And went in search for someone else.

* * *

Leslie called Gotham General to and had to apologize over the change. She didn't want to do it, but she knew it would be a easier for Dick to be at the hospital so that he could be sent back to the detention center or the orphanage, but she also knew that if she sent Dick away Bruce would only break him out. Leslie was just as worried about Bruce right now as she was about Dick. She saw Bruce when he was obsessed with his own parents death (and still was), at a much younger age. Now with more at his disposal she was terrified her what he could or would do if he found either killer. Leslie decided to attempt to take a nap while Alfred watched Dick and Bruce was out.

Dick's fever was starting to break, and he started to violent toss and turn in the bed crying out the word no. He was having another nightmare.

"It will be okay dear boy." Alfred said gently rubbing his hand on Dick's shoulder. Alfred had been the one to help Bruce when he had nightmares. It pained him to see another young child suffer that same misfortune. Alfred changed out the cold cloth on Dick's forehead, when he turned back to the young boy he was looking up at him with scared blue eyes.

"Good to see you awake, how are you feeling?"

"It hurts…" Dick said trying to look around for Bruce.

"He's not here right now. I can give him a call." Alfred told Dick.

"No…it's okay." Dick said a little disappointed, it was also clear that Dick did not want to go back to sleep.

"Here have some water to drink. I will get Dr. Tompkins to come check in on you."

"You're leaving too?" Dick said looking nervous.

"Oh, no dear boy I just have to go into the other other room." Alfred was a little hesitant to leave, but he wanted Leslie to watch over Dick while he called Bruce.

* * *

Batman was on a rooftop angrily dangling another criminal fifty-feet over the edge. When he got a call on the communicator device in his cowl.

"I will ask you one last time!" He growled loosening his grip on the man despite having no intention of dropping the man. The man was holding tightly onto Batman's forearms in fear of his life. The man was staring he knew nothing.

"Not the time!" Bruce snapped after accepting the call.

"I am sorry sir, but right now there is a little boy who woke up and despite having a brief conversation with you he has taken a shining to you, shocking I know, but he is looking for you."

"Call this your lucky day," Batman spat at the man as he lifted the man back over the solid surface and dropped him on the roof. Then used his grappling gun to disappear into the dark night leaving the thug on the roof with no way to get down.

"I'm on my way," Bruce said as he moved from building to building to get back to the other side of town to Leslie's clinic.

Bruce touched down in the alley next to the clinic and slipped into the back door. When he entered the clinic he took off his Batman costume, he did not want Dick to know about this part of his life, so he changed first. Then once he was back into his Bruce Wayne clothing he went into see Dick.

"You came back," Dick said looking to Bruce. Dick was sitting up and Leslie and Alfred were attempting to get Dick to eat something.

"I did," Bruce giving him a small smile.

* * *

Bruce woke up with a start. He didn't intend to fall asleep, it just happened. It took him a moment to realize where he was and what happened last night.

"I'm not open yet, I was just about to wake you. He slept the rest of the night and his fever is gone. Bruce, he needs to go back, I promised Jim I would make sure he got back in the morning, If you want you can come. Oh and Alfred is getting some breakfast." Leslie said before Bruce could ask any questions.

Alfred came back five minutes later with some breakfast, "Ah, Master Bruce would you like some eggs? I'm not sure how good they are the place did not look clean."

"No thank you, Alfred." Bruce said not exactly excited about Alfred's description of the place.

Dick started to wake up, Everything was finally clicking for him what happened last night. "I'm sorry…I caused so much trouble…" Dick covered his eyes with his hands.

"Dick, you aren't in any trouble." Bruce said reassuringly. "Have some breakfast."

Dick nodded and took the breakfast, he took a few bites of the eggs and pancakes. He didn't want to go back, but he knew he had to. He didn't belong anywhere, he didn't have anyone. The only people who cared about him since the death of his parents were these complete strangers. It felt nice to be cared for. Leslie pulled some clothes from the donation box for Dick to wear since he shirt and jacket got cut, and his jeans were stained with blood. Leslie fussed over how skinny Dick was. The eight-year-old boy stayed quiet the whole time.

Bruce insisted that he was the one to take Dick back to the the detention center. He wanted to see what it was life for himself.

"Come back in nine or ten days and I can take your stitches out," Dr. Tompkins told Dick giving him a hug.

Dick quietly followed Alfred and Bruce out to the car. Dick sat in the backseat with Bruce. Bruce looked over at the sad boy. He didn't want to take him back to a place he hated, but what could he really do for him?

"Why were you out last night?" Bruce asked hoping to find out more information.

"Didn't wanna stay there any more." Dick said looking down at his shoes. "I'm sorry I ruined your suit..."

"Don't worry about it, I have others."

Dick picked his head up and looked out the window as Alfred stopped in front of the old brick building Dick escaped from the previous night. Bruce looked up at the building. The fire escape was on the side of the building presumably the hall way. Dick said he climbed out his bedroom window. He had no reason to lie to Bruce and the others, so how did he get out.

"What room is yours?" Bruce asked.

"That one," Dick said pointing to the middle third floor window.

"How'd you get out?" Bruce knew Dick was an aerialist, but Bruce doubled even Dick could managed the three story jump without aid.

"Drain pipe," Dick said casually with a shrug. "It's not even that high."

Dick sat in the car for a few minutes before getting out. Bruce got as well he wanted to talk to the women who was in charge of the detention center. Dick starred at the buzzer he didn't want to press it. Pressing it meant he would have to go in, he didn't know how much trouble he would be in for not only sneaking out, but getting hurt. He finally pressed the buzzer.

The door was answered by a tall woman with short hair that came down to her ears. She had gray cold eyes, there was frown on her face that looked permeant.

"Get in," She said to Dick.

"Yes ma'am. Sorry…" Dick mumbled and rushed past her and into the building and up the stairs, but he stopped short to listen in. This stunt did not go unnoticed by Bruce.

"I'm sorry for any trouble he caused you. How much do we owe for his little trip to the hospital?" She asked bitterly.

"No charge," Bruce said professionally, despite already hating the woman. "I have a friend who runs a free clinic. She even offered to help him, and even take his stitches at no cost."

"Thank you Mr. Wayne you have done too much. We were worried for his safety, considering the situation." Her voice dropped off at the end of the sentence.

"Oh it was nothing, he seems to be a good kid. What situation?" Bruce asked worried.

"He usually is, this was very unlike him. He does tends to keep to himself." She said not answering Bruce's question.

"I did too after I lost my parents," Bruce said he was about to press for more information, but there was a loud crashing sound behind her.

"Boys! Stop that now!" She snapped as she turned and ran in the direction of the sound.

Dick quietly crept down the stairs. "Do you have to go?" He asked Bruce sadly. "Can't I stay with you? Please."

"I'm sorry bud," Bruce said.

"I get it. You don't want a little kid. I've read about you in the paper...bye Mr. Wayne." Dick said lowering his head and turned around to go into common area.

* * *

Dick managed to avoid his roommates for most of the day. Luckily for him none of the boys liked being there either and they usually left during the day, but they had a strict curfew they needed to be back by, and that time was now.

"Well Dickie is back." A sandy haired twelve-year-old boy named Danny asked as Dick entered his room. He flashed Dick a devilish smiled

"I hope I didn't get you in trouble." Dick said.

"We surprised you came back. You didn't run away and join a circus?" a husky freckled faced red-headed pale boy name Simon asked.

"What would you do there anyway?" Danny, the oldest one asked.

"He could be a monkey! He does like to climb things!" Kyle the third boy said. He had dark hair and skin he was tallest of the boys.

"Yeah he can do little tricks." Simon added in as the boys started to laugh.

"Miro!" Dick snapped. He instantly regretted slipping up and using a Romani word for quiet. It was so second nature for him to slip into Gypsy language that he get up speaking along side English.

The boys started laughing at him. "Using your silly words again?" Danny laughed.

"Just leave me alone!" Dick balled up his fist and pulled it back to punch at Danny. He was tired of being picked on. He never usually fought them back because the punches he usually received were wake up calls.

He had been living here two weeks, and now all his pent up anger was starting to come out. Then Danny pulled back his fist as well. Both landed on their targets; Danny's landed in Dick's left eye. The pushing and shoving match started. Dick felt himself behind pushed into a lamp that clattered to the ground. Before he knew it he was on rolling around on the ground trying to land another punch on the older boy. Dick was pinned under Danny, he tried to bring push him off, but he was having no luck using his arms, so he pulled back his feet and used them to kick the boy's feet out from under him. This caused Danny to lose his balance, as the boy came crashing down Dick rolled out of the way. Once he was out of the way he started to crawl away. Seeing Dick try to get away Simon used his foot to push him over, but since it was on his left side it hurt. Dick flopped to his back, he moaned a little before sitting. He pulled up his shirt to see if his cut was bleeding.

"What the hell happened?" Kyle asked, there was a slight sound of concern in his voice.

Dick said he looked down and blood seeping through. "I gotta go…" Dick ran out of the room.

* * *

Bruce never thought he would use his emergency suit for anything not related to being Batman. He was happy he had one stowed in his office. He did come into work with the same suit as the day before, but many people assumed it was because he was out late with women. If only they really knew they would understand.

Bruce found he could not get his mind off Dick. He understood what was going on in Dick's life right now. The loss of his parents at a young age, in a horrible tragic way. The feeling of being lost. If it wasn't for Alfred Bruce didn't know where he would be right now. And the there was the situation. He should have asked Dick about when he had the chance. Bruce wanted to help Dick, but he could not take the boy in. He could not raise a kid. Could he; Bruce Wayne? He knew Batman could help. In between what he had to do as the head of Wayne Enterprise he was going do more looking into Tony Zucco.

* * *

Dick wondered around Gotham, thinking over everything. He really should have gone to see Leslie, but he got lost in thought and he managed his way to the docks instead. It was now getting dark and the dark clouds indicated that it was close to raining. Once he got there sat with his feet hanging over the edge, his hands were in his lap. His shoulder's were hunched over as he looked down into the water. Then he started to cry. He missed his parents. he missed the circus, and his circus family. He watched as some rain drops hit the water.

It was getting late, cold, raining harder and thunder was rumbling in the distance. Dick needed to go somewhere, even if it was back to the place he was supposed to live. He was supposed to be safe there, but he didn't feel safe there. He got to his feet and started to run. He didn't know where he was going. He was looking where he was going. He didn't see that a trio of Tony Zucco's low life thugs.

"Looks like someone got to him." a voice said seeing Dick's black eye.

Dick ran, but he was confined to the dock. He had no place to go once he reached the end, he was standing at the edge, the only place left to go was into the cold dirty water. The thunder got louder and lighting got close.

"You have to where to go kid." A thug smeared stating the obvious.

Dick looked around for another way out, he had no space to move. A hand reached out for him, Dick smacked the hand way, but it only angered the man. Dick's heart was racing, he was scared. Dick's act of defiance caused the man to grunt with anger he grabbed Dick by the shirt and held him over the edge of the dock.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when Bruce looked over the police report once more. That's when he noticed something he missed before. Dick was not only a witness to death of his parents, but he also witnessed Tony Zucco trying to extort money from Mr. Haly. Dick was in danger, Zucco did not leave witnesses, not even ones who are eight-year-old acrobats. He needed to find Dick. This was the situation, the woman was talking about. This was must have also been a reason he was at the detention center, it was more secure than the orphanage.

Bruce got to thinking. Maybe the stabbing wasn't an accident. Maybe he was targeted, he needed to check on Dick, he was not safe.

Bruce got on the phone, and when he found out Dick was missing he cancelled the rest of his day to search for the boy.

* * *

Dick felt the hands tighten around his neck. He was frantically kicking trying to break free. Even if he landed in the water at this point he wouldn't care, he wanted to breathe. He just wanted to get away from them. Dick held onto the thug's forearms then he started to use his hips to start swing. His life may be in danger and the position was awkward and he was having trouble breathing, but he was meant to fly. He wanted to fly before he could walk. Dick got momentum he kept his toes pointed. Just one kick to the gut, and even if he landed low it would not be the worst thing. Dick put all the strength he could muster into this kick. He only had one chance. Dick closed his eyes and focused. He landed the kick low, getting the man in the crotch. Dick was immediately dropped by the thug. Dick gasped letting air back into his lungs and tried to grab onto the ledge of the dock, but failed now he was falling to the water. He braced himself for the impact into the cold water. At least the thugs would not follow him.

Dick wasn't the best swimmer, even on a good day, but he could hold his own. Right now the rain was making it harder to swim. It was taking a lot of him to swim to the shore. The choppy waters forced Dick under the water filling his lungs with the icy cold drink. He gasped and coughed. He could see the shore. He as almost there. Thunder went off too close for his comfort. He needed to get out.

He finally got close enough to shore to walk. Once he got to dry land he let himself collapse.

* * *

 **A/N: More action than the last chapter. I hope you are enjoying the twist.** **What do you think now? Ready for more?**

 **If you liked it drop me a review or a favorite.**

 **Also, don't forget to check out my Young Justice fics too.**

 **Until next time!**


	3. Saving Dick Grayson

After confirming Dick was in fact missing from the detention center Bruce went in search of Dick. None of the boys knew Dick. Bruce did not know where to start looking for Dick, Bruce knew nothing about the boy, he didn't know what he liked or where he would go in a city he didn't know. The only information Bruce got from the other boys was that Dick liked to read.

Not only was he looking for Dick, but he was still trying to get a lead on Tony Zucco, although Dick was his top priority.

Could Dick be running from the detention center for another reason? Could he be looking for the man who killed his parents?

Bruce began to canvas the city, as Batman. He went to the grounds where the circus was, other than it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Bruce had to find Dick before anyone else could.

After searching the city center, Batman headed out to the docks. There always seemed to be trouble on the dock, so even if he could not find Dick he could maybe find a lead for locating Tony Zucco. It was raining so hard now Bruce could hardly see, but he had to keep searching. Batman strained to see, he was looking for any clue, any indication Dick was there or anywhere. He was getting ready to leave when he noticed a figure on the beach.

Batman approached the figure that was face down on the beach, it was soaking wet and covered in sand. The body was small and thin, with short dark hair. Bruce felt his felt his heart racing, if he was the praying kind he would pray the seemingly lifeless body was not Dick. He looked down and turned the body over in his arms, his heart sunk, it was Dick. Bruce pulled a glove off his hand to check Dick's pulse. It was weak, but it was there. Then he raised Dick's chest to his ear to hear how the boy's breathing was; it was faint. Bruce looked Dick over. He noticed the black eye, bruising around his neck, his lips were blue from the cold. Bruce took his cape off and wrapped Dick in it to help keep him warm, the boy was shivering. Dick coughed and his eyes opened a little. He looked up into the face of Batman.

"Bruce?" Dick mumbled before closing his eyes again, he moaned a little.

The young acrobat was shivering. Bruce held Dick close to his chest. "I'm right here."

Bruce stood up and carried Dick to the Batmobile and laid him in the backseat. Once Bruce got in himself, he turned the heat up, he was going to take Dick back to Wayne Manor. On his way home Bruce called Leslie and Alfred who were him track down Dick, both were going to meet Bruce at the manor.

Once he arrived at the Batcave he rushed Dick upstairs to one of the many bedrooms in the house. He needed to get Dick warm, he could not lose this boy, not now. When he arrive home Alfred was already back and waiting for him.

"Alfred…" Bruce said scared coming out from behind the grandfather clock, that concealed the entrance to the Batcave.

"Master Bruce, what happened? " Alfred asked seeing Dick limp and blue in Bruce's arms. Bruce's call was so quick Alfred did not know the extent on Dick's condition.

"He's weak and cold. I'm taking him to a room with a fireplace. Is Leslie close?" Bruce talked quickly as he carried Dick out of the room and upstairs.

Alfred had never seen Bruce worried like this, he genuinely cared about Dick.

"Leslie is on her way. Bring him up. I will be up with more blankets and I will get the fire started. We will need to get him out of those wet clothes. I should have some of your old clothing around in storage."

"Thank you Alfred." Bruce said taking Dick to one of the many bedrooms in the manor.

* * *

Until Alfred could find some clothes that would fit Dick they wrapped him in Bruce's bathrobe, it was warm and snuggly Dick never felt anything as soft as this.

"Bruce..." Dick mumbled starting to wake back up as Alfred layered more blankets on him.

"Just rest, Leslie is coming. We are warming you up." Bruce helped Dick sit up so he could drink some warm water.

"Thanks..." Dick said drinking the tasteless beverage. Trying to process what was going on.

"Leslie is on her way, and now that we have the blankets and the fire going. Alfred is going to check if have any of my old clothes at could fit you." Bruce set the cup down.

"Okay..." Dick said looking at Bruce with some confusion.

"Dick?" Bruce asked worried.

"Dreamt you were Batman…and saved me…"

Bruce was caught off guard by Dick's comment. Dick did speak the truth, but Dick was not convince it was true. Bruce forced a smile "Yeah?"

"You had pointy ears…" Dick laughed and brought his index fingers up to side of his head.

Bruce rubbed the top of Dick's head, "get some sleep kid."

Bruce knew Dick was not in the right mind set right now, but it still did not feel right to deny what Dick said. It was just easier to glaze over the comment and hope Dick would still think it was all a dream when he was of sound mind.

* * *

"Bruce, times like this it would be better to take him to a hospital, he has hypothermia. I know you did the right thing—" Leslie said lecturing Bruce in the hallway after checking in on Dick.

"He's safer here," Bruce said cutting her off.

"Safer? Bruce what is all this about?" Leslie asked. She knew he was hesitant to take the boy to even the hospital before, at least at her clinic she had more supplies, but now wanting to keep him in his own house? There had to be more, that Bruce was not telling her.

"Dick has a hit out on his head," Bruce said darkly. "Now that you are here, I am going out."

"Are you at least telling him you are leaving?" Leslie asked. She looked at him sternly.

"It's best I don't. He's sleeping anyway." Bruce said leaving her standing there.

Bruce sighed, he was thinking about the look on Leslie's face when she realized he was going out. He thought about Dick, he really did want to help him, he knew he could help him. He walked down the stairs and headed to his study where the entrance to his Batcave was. He he entered the room Alfred was waiting for him.

"I want to keep Dick here." Bruce said abruptly. "I know what it's like…I can help him."

"Master Bruce, I know you see much of yourself in the boy, but that is what he is, a boy. He has more needs beyond a roof over his head. He's a lost boy who needs a father figure. You invite Richard to stay here, you are offering to raise him. Where you are going now, out, you must now think of Richard. How would he feel if never came back? Could Dick handle another loss?"

* * *

The next morning Dick woke up in a strange room under so many blankets he could hardly move. He remembered last night being cold because he fell into the river. He vaguely remembered being carried in, and brought to the room. He remembered seeing Bruce, Alfred, and Leslie. But last night was such a blur, he wasn't even entirely convinced it all happened.

Dick wiggled out from under the covers he looked down at what he was wearing. They were a pair of over sized pajamas, there was a pair of slippers waiting for him and a bathrobe laid out on the chair. He put on the bathrobe and slippers and walked around room. This room was almost bigger than the trailer he lived in during the off season in Florida with his parents.

Dick then walked over to the door and poked his head out "Bruce?" He stepped out into the hallway. He looked to the left and then right, he didn't see anyone. "Alfred?" he started walking to the left hoping it would get him someplace.

"Ah, Master Richard you are awake good, come I made breakfast. I didn't know what you liked so I made a little bit of everything." Alfred said. "This way." Alfred starting making his way to a grand looking stair case.

"You can just call me Dick." He said following the butler.

"Very well Master Richard." Alfred smiled coyly.

As Dick slowly followed Alfred looking around. He followed Alfred down the grand staircase, he was half tempted to slide down the banister, but between still not feeling well and fear he would get in trouble he decided against it. They walked passed some rooms before ending in the kitchen.

"Take a seat, have whatever you would like," Alfred smiled warmly showing Dick to a small table that was in the kitchen, a breakfast nook.

"Thank you," Dick said. He looked at all the food on the table, pancakes, waffles, french toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, as well as fruits, and too many kinds of juice. "How many people are coming?"

"Just Master Bruce, and Dr. Tompkins might stop by as well." Alfred said.

"Where is Bruce?" Dick asked poking at the eggs Alfred had put on on his plate.

"He's running an errand. He will be back soon." Alfred said.

Dick started to slowly eat. "It's all really good," Dick said while Alfred was finishing the dishes when the other kitchen door opened, and Bruce walked in.

"Good morning, good to see you awake." Bruce smiled sitting in the chair across from Dick.

"Morning," Dick said looking up.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better than last night," Dick said looking back down at his plate. "Thanks, Bruce."

"Oh it's no problem at all. As long as you're safe." Bruce said sitting down across from Dick.

Alfred looked over at the pair's awkward conversation. Neither of them seemed very good at conversation and if Bruce was serious about taking Dick he would have to learn how to talk to him. The two of them finished breakfast in silence.

"Dick, I would like to make you and offer." Bruce was treating the conversation more like a business conversation. "I would like you to stay here, with me."

"Stay here? Really?" Dick smiled, for what felt what must have been the first time since the death of his parents.

"Is that something you would like?" Bruce asked tentatively.

"Yes!" Dick said jumping out of his seat and ran over to Bruce to give him a hug. "I don't have to go back? Will I get in trouble?"

Bruce was caught off guard by Dick's affection, "I talked to some people. Pulled a few strings, and you can stay here. That room you were in is all yours."

"Really?" Dick said surprised, he never has a room to himself before.

"Of course, then later we are going to pick up your belongings." Bruce said.

"I don't want to go back. Can I stay here with Alfred?" Dick said growing quiet.

"Alfred has the rest of the day off," Bruce explained. "It promise you won't have to stay. We will pick you your stuff and leave."

"Can I wait in the car?" Dick begged.

Bruce thought about it. He saw how against Dick was going back, he needed to comprise. He did not want him staying in the manor alone just yet. "Yes you can."

After breakfast Bruce showed Dick around the manor. The place was even bigger than Dick realized. He'd never seen a house this big in his life. This place was so big the whole circus could live here. There was so many rooms it made Dick wonder if they were all used, or why any one would need this much space.

Once the tour was complete Dick got changed into simple pair of track pants, a t-shirt, and the matching track jacket. Then it was time to head to the detention center. Luckily that proved to be a quick trip and Dick waited in the car, hidden from sight.

After getting the box of Dick's belongings Bruce realized that Dick had nothing, no clothing or even toys or anything that he could call his. Bruce looked in the review mirror at Dick who was looking out the window. He knew he could not wait on Alfred to get clothes for Dick, so they would have to manage on their own.

Bruce pulled into the parking lot of a clothing store. He looked back at Dick. "Ready."

"I think so…" Dick said following Bruce into the store.

Once inside both were overwhelmed. Once they got started and past the initial shock Dick started to have fun picking out clothes. He'd never had so many options before. Bruce watched the cart fill up. Bruce made sure Dick was well stocked. They got shirts and jackets in every color. Bruce insisted on getting Dick multiple suits despite Dick's objection. Bruce had to explain the reasoning behind it after seeing Dick try to sneak the suits back. Hearing about the parties, particularly the one next Friday and trips to Wayne Enterprise, and even school scared Dick a little, but he didn't let it show (or so he thought) Bruce knew that when he was Dick's age formal parties were the last thing he wanted to attend.

When they got home was when they realized the over shopped. There was no need for ten pairs of pajamas, and they really did go overboard on shirts and pants. When they neglected to get enough of was socks, to Dick that was fine he not a fan of wearing socks anyway.

So was this the start of it? Was this the start of rising a child?

* * *

 **A/N: So Bruce has** **decided! But is it the right one? What do you think so far? Our favorite little acrobat will be attending a formal party, he has school to worry about, and trip to Wayne Enterprise. Are Bruce and Dick ready for this?**

 **Ready for more? drop a review/fav if you like it!**


	4. A New Home

It had been almost a week since Dick started living with Bruce. Though to the boy it was more like living with Alfred, he'd seen more of the old butler than Bruce.

Although to Alfred, he could see Dick slowly coming out of his shell, but he knew he would come out more if Bruce was there.

It wasn't like Bruce wanted to skip out on seeing the young acrobat, it was just he was finding it hard to juggle running Wayne Enterprise and being Batman was hard enough, and now adding being a father figure?

Today was different though, today Bruce cleared his morning to take Dick for his placement exam for Gotham Academy, and after the exam the billionaire was going to show him around Wayne Enterprise, that idea excited Dick more than taking a placement test.

Dick looked at himself in the mirror, he tugged at the collar of his shirt, never before in his life had worn a suit and tie. Even for his parents funeral, members of the circus pulled together to find a polo shirt and a decent pair of pants for him to wear.

"It's too constricting," the young acrobat complained as Bruce re-straightened the tie, "How can people wear this?"

"You get used to it. I'm sure there is some little kid somewhere wondering how you can wear that skin tight costume," Bruce tried to keep the mood light

"That's like a second skin! So easy to move in. Can I just wear a t-shirt and jeans?" he begged.

"Sorry bud, not for this school, once you get in you will be wearing a uniform. Much like this, shirt, tie, suit jacket. You also need the suit when we go to Wayne Enterprise." Bruce knew people would put the same pressure and expectations on Dick. The billionaire play boy had never shown signs of settling down and producing an heir to the Wayne fortune, quite honestly Bruce never thought much of it himself until he took the young acrobat in.

"If. I've never been to school, you know that. Why would they want me?" the boy asked

"Your parents home schooled you, that counts. This is just a placement exam, to see where your skill levels are, no need to worry. It's great school. I went there as a kid too."

"Really? You did?" Dick said smiling slightly.

"I did. So did my father."

Dick nodded still looking at himself in the mirror. Dick sighed. "Fine...let's go." he mumbled reluctantly following Bruce with his shoulders hunched over.

* * *

They pulled up to the large brick school, there were kids there, well it was Tuesday. Everyone looked at them as they passed. Word broke that Bruce was bringing Dick to the school, and with the information that Bruce took in a young ward in, was already around Gotham. Everyone was intrigued by the boy taken in by Bruce Wayne; the playboy of Gotham. Everyone pointed and whispered as they passed. Dick tried to ignore what they were saying, but it was tough, the students were mostly talking about rumors as to why Bruce took the young acrobat in, if a kids raised in the circus even knew how to read, and of course the death of the two eldest Flying Graysons.

Dick was nervous while taking the exam. The exam had questions in multiple subjects, even some questions in other languages (most of which Dick knew). He was told to skip what he did not know, and answer to the best of his ability, it made him even more nervous when a majority of the exam questions came rather easily to him. He did not want to disappoint or embarrass Bruce by failing the test.

* * *

After the exam Bruce took Dick to Wayne Enterprise to show him around. The boy quietly walked beside Bruce once they entered the building, he looked around and observed what was going on. The boy could see people scurrying away one they saw Bruce walking their way, if they were not working they would start. It amused Dick because it was very different hierarchy at the circus. There everyone worked together to get things done, here it looked like every man for himself. Dick had become quite good at reading people while living in the circus, not only did his parents teach him their stills, but other did as well, everyone one there loved Dick and would watch him when he parents could not, because of that he learned a lot. He could tell the people who were nervous that Bruce was there, apart from the people who didn't care, or the people who wanted to show off.

The first stop was Bruce's office where he would stay during the meeting with a Lucious Fox, a meeting that the boy was not allowed at. Dick instead sat down in Bruce's chair, loosened his tie and spun around until he got bored. He looked at the pile of papers on the desk, Bruce never said he couldn't look at the papers, beside the note on top caught his eye. There was an error and they wanted Bruce to look it over. Dick picked the file up and looked it over, he added up the amounts on each page in his head. When he got to the bottom of page four he noticed that amount he came up with was not the same that was on the page, he looked at the total on the page and the total he go to see where the error could come from, that when he noticed the mistake. He was surprised no one notice it earlier, the decimal was moved, and the numbers totaled up wrong. Who ever did this paper moved a decimal and that caused the total to come out wrong, after figuring that out he was able to add the rest of the pages no problem and the final total matched the computer total.

Dick jolted when the door was opened, it was Bruce, "I'm sorry…I saw the note…and I found the error…" the boy nervously rambled.

"It's okay, I was going to look that over now anyway, show me what you found." Bruce was intrigued to see the error an eight-year-old found, that grown mean and women who were paid to do this could not.

Dick hesitantly showed Bruce the error.

"Very good," He was rather impressed Dick found the error, misplaced decimals tended to be hard to pin point on such a large file since there were so many numbers. He didn't

question Dick's intelligence it was just that was just that the complexity of the decimals was beyond the average eight-year-old. "You seem to have the knack for decimals."

"My mom used old accounting ledgers for the circus to teach me. I got good at it, Mr. Haly had me double check when things didn't at up."

Bruce smiled, it was good to see Dick offer a story about his mom without being asked.

"Sounds like she was an excellent teacher."

Dick nodded, "She was. My dad and mom taught me everything I know. Not just with being an acrobat…" He smiled a little thinking about the memories.

"Come on, let me give you a full tour now, and fix the tie." Bruce added the last part in quickly causing Dick to pout and adjusted the tie back to it's rightful place as he followed him out.

* * *

Two days after taking the placement exam Bruce received a phone call from the headmaster of the school requesting a meeting with Dick and him about the results of the placement exam. Bruce had to assure Dick that it was proper protocol to have a meeting with the headmaster after taking a placement exam mid semester, even for students in the elementary level.

Bruce and Dick waited until the headmaster's secretary called them in.

"Richard, it's a pleasure to meet you, I am Headmaster Evans." The salt and pepper haired man put his hand out to Dick.

Dick took it, "Nice to meet you too, you can call me Dick." he felt nervous meeting the headmaster of the school, the man intimidated him, despite having a kind smile.

After shaking Dick's hand Headmaster Evans and Bruce exchanged hand shakes as well before they took their seats. "I am going to cut right to the chase. I don't like to beat around the bush."

Dick felt his heart race. This was it. He was going to be told he could not attend this school.

"It is my recommendation after seeing the results of Dick's exam that we have him skip a grade. We will be happy to have him here. Speak with Michelle and she will get you ready for Monday." He spoke quickly.

"You really want me to skip a grade?" Dick asked dumfounded.

"That is great news. I know I am proud of Dick, he's a bright boy. I believe he will do well here." Bruce smiled warmly.

* * *

Friday came quicker than Dick wanted. He knew he was not ready to meet Bruce's friends. He was not used to being around people like this, but he was going to have to get used to it. Dick sighed and tugged at his tie. Dick wondered if he could hide in the library if they would notice. He sighed, that would be the first place Bruce looked. Maybe he could find a random room to hide in, but hiding would displease Bruce and he didn't want to disappoint him. Beside this was the life he was going to live for now. He had to try and get used to it.

Dick got to the top of the stairs and he could see waiters and other hired help putting the finishing touches on everything. The boy sat there and watched them until he heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head to see Bruce coming.

"I would always hide in the library." Bruce said knowing what Dick was thinking.

"Huh?" Dick said.

"When I was a kid, I would always hide, drove my dad crazy." The billionaire said.

"I hope you are not corrupting Master Richard into hiding." Alfred said coming up the stairs.

Bruce chuckled, "I was planning on hiding with him," he teased.

"Would not be the first time," Alfred said giving Bruce a knowing look. "Now I suggest you get ready to greet your guests.

"Ready Dick?" Bruce asked standing up.

"No," Dick said standing as well.

"Just smile and nod a lot," Bruce said, "and you could always come find me."

Dick nodded and stayed close to Bruce, he was introduced to so many people he could not remember all their names. The women were dressed in elegant dresses and jewelry that probably cost more than the trailer Dick lived in with his parents, the men were dressed similarly to Bruce and himself.

When Bruce would introduce Dick, it was followed by their condolences. Some even said they had opportunity to see the young acrobat fly with his parents, it made him smile to hear the stories, but it also made him miss his parents. When Dick needed to make more conversation he would tell them he was going to be attending Gotham Academy starting on Monday.

Dick continued to walk around the party trying not to be noticed, he was getting bored and tired of saying the same things over and over, he didn't have much to share and he felt this crowd was not that interested in his like with the circus, he felt out of place.

Dick slipped away from the party and headed to his room. The first things he did when he went up stairs was loosen his tie and pull it off, he got to his room and tossed the tie in the chair that was in his room, after the tie the shoes and socks came next, followed the jacket, then the dress shirt, and last the pants. The boy was in a white t-shirt and his boxers, but he felt more comfortable. He started to pace around his room. There was no way he could go back down there, not like he could any way. He did not belong here. This was not his world, he didn't belong here, just when he thought he finally found a place to belong he found out he didn't.

Dick walked over the window, the wind howled and rain beat against his face, it was hard to see, but he looked out to see if there was a drain pipe or another way down, but there was none; well not in his room. He counted over three windows to a window that access a drain pipe. He pulled his head back inside and closed the window. Why was it always raining in Gotham?

The boy left his room and walked down the hall to the room with access to the drain pipe, once inside he ran to the window and opened it, he needed to get out of here, he needed to find the man who killed his parents, he started to climb down the drain pipe, he wanted to stop the nightmares.

As he shimmied down there was a crack of thunder and flash of lighting. Dick held onto the drain pipe, but he started to slip. He started to start climbing down again, he could feel the pipe coming lose from the manor, it was pulling away from building, he held on tightly as he started to scream. The boy hanging from a broken drain pipe. Until now he never realized that he was afraid to fall with no net, he was breathing heavily and his heart was pounding.

* * *

 **A/N: Lots of fun this chapter, Dick is starting to learn what it's like to be the ward of a** **billionaire! He** **has gotten himself into trouble, but what will happen?**

 **I have a Nightwing fic out, so feel free to check it out!**

 **Until next chapter!**


	5. The Party at Wayne Manor

The party continued. No one, not even Bruce noticed the missing eight-year-old.

Bruce was talking with two women, one was a blond named Leah, and it was obviously not natural, he hair was up in a fancy bun and she wore a revealing black dress with a high slit, the other girl and long sleek black hair with a red dress, her name was Nikki. Both women were very well aware of the billionaire's playboy status.

Bruce smiled politely, he only played up playboy status, so that people could never connect him to Batman, "ladies, I'm sorry, so sleepovers right now. I've got the kid to think about now."

"But I love kids! And he's so cute, I'm sure he won't mind," Leah placed a hand on the man's chest and looked into his brown eyes, with her blue ones.

"One of us could baby sit the kid," Nikki added in smiling.

Bruce flashed them his signature smile. He honestly never thought of what to do in this situation now that he had Dick with him, how the boy would react to random women spending the night, he quickly pushed that thought into the back of his mind to think about later.

A loud crack of thunder, and a bright flash of lighting, it was followed by a scream.

Bruce looked around the room skillfully looking to see where the scream came from, that was when he noticed a certain young acrobat was missing, but he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach. It could have been a coincidence, Dick had been trying ditch the party the entire night. The billionaire slipped off upstairs to find his new ward.

"Alfred, have you seen Dick?" Bruce asked meeting the butler at the bottom of the stairs briefly before racing up the stairs.

"Sir, so you think that screen was Master Richard?" Alfred asked

Bruce knocked on the door to the boy's room, there was no reply. He tried again and didn't give the boy a chance to answer, when he opened the door and saw the bed still neatly made and clothes in a pile on the chair.

"Dick?" Bruce called hoping for some reason the boy was hiding, he may not have seen the acrobat, but he did notice the window has been opened, he could tell by the rain on the window sill.

"He's not here sir." Alfred said grimly, after doing his own assessment.

Bruce raced to the window and opened it, he looked around, and he knew that the boy left the detention center by way of the drain pipe. Once he opened the window he heard a cry for help.

"Dick!" Bruce said leaning out the window to see the young acrobat hanging from a drain pipe wearing only a t-shirt and boxers.

Without thinking he jumped out the window he ran over to his young ward. "Dick let go, I will catch you." Bruce said standing under the petrified boy looking up, even in the short time he was outside the older man was soaked, he could not imagine how cold and wet the poor boy was.

"No I can't…I don't wanna fall…" Dick's voice cracked as he spoke, he had never been scared of heights, why was it giving him a problem now? He tried to adjust his grip. Between there being no way to actually hold onto the pipe, and it was raining holding on was hard.

"Dick, I've seen you fly," Bruce calling up hoping to convince the boy to let go, by referring to the videos online he had viewed, "this drop is nothing! I promise I will catch you." the billionaire called out to the acrobat seeing him struggling to keep hold.

Dick let go, trusting the man standing on the ground under him and allowed himself to fall, Bruce easily caught him, and as soon as Dick was in his arms, the younger boy held tightly onto the billionaire.

"I got you, lets go in." Bruce took Dick into an alternate door so that the guests could not see them. "Alfred, can you send all the guest home?" the billionaire said to the his waiting butler.

Alfred nodded to his master and left, he understood the situation.

"Noooooo," Dick moaned not wanting to ruin the party because of his antics.

"Don't worry buddy, it's a boring party anyway, now let's get you dried off." He soothed the young boy.

Bruce brought Dick to the bathroom and sat him on the closed toilet, then he grabbed a towel and placed it on the boy's head and started to rub his raven colored hair dry, all the while the child sat with his head lowered not saying anything.

"I'm going to get you some clothes, I'll be right back." Bruce said leaving the room, he glanced back at Dick who was now drying himself off.

Bruce came back quickly with warm dry pajamas. "I'm not mad," Bruce said before the boy could say anything while handing him the pajamas.

"Not mad?" Dick asked taking the pajamas and started to put them on.

"Not at all, actually when I was a little younger than you we had this big formal party much like this one, well it had just snowed and I wanted to go sledding, so I snuck out of the party grabbed my sled and well," he allowed his voice to trail slightly.

"You went sledding?" Dick looked up his hair was sticking up all over the place. As hard as he tried he could not picture Bruce sledding as a child, or even being a child.

"I did, in my suit too," Bruce smiled slightly and gave a small chuckle remembering the memory, "I had so much fun sledding until…"

"Until what?" Dick cutting off the older man, he was perking up listening to the story.

"I hit a tree, scrapped my head, and started bleeding. After that happened I tried sneak back into the house, I was hoping I could find Alfred first, but I saw my father, I tried to tell him it was nothing, but that is very difficult when your father is a doctor." The billionaire stopped when the boy interjected.

"What did he say!?" Dick asked anxiously to hear the rest of the story.

"Well he did what I just did, he told Alfred to send everyone home, then he took me upstairs, actually to this bathroom and cleaned me up, checked me over, told me a story about a time he did something similar, then we watched a movie. That is exactly what we are going to do." Bruce smiled and looked at the boy in front of him.

"Really?" the boy questioned.

"Really, you can pick out whatever movie you want to watch."

"Can we have popcorn?"

"Of course, now let's go."

Bruce and Dick went down stairs to the living room to watch the movie. They sat on the couch and the billionaire covered them both in the same blanket, half an hour into the movie Dick laid his head on Bruce's shoulder and fell asleep. For the first time in years Bruce did not go as Batman.

* * *

Dick got back from his first day back at school, he never realized how hard it would be, all the change he has had to deal with, he laid down in his bed on his side hugging a pillow close to his chest, he was thinking about everything that had happened since his parents were murdered, he felt numb. He thought going to school would be fun, he get to make friends, but the making friends part was going to be harder than he realized.

but being here with Bruce, knowing he knew what it was like was a little comforting, but he still didn't feel right here.

He missed his parents, he missed his circus family, warm tears slip down his cheeks, he buried his face into his pillow and cried.

Alfred was walking by Dick's room, the door was open slightly and he could hear Dick's soft cries, he paused and looked into the room, it reminded him of Bruce. It was hard to see another child go through the same situation.

* * *

It was three in the morning on Wednesday when Batman got back from patrol, he grimaced in pain as he slowly made his way in, Bruce meet Alfred who was waiting for him with the medical supplies. Before meeting with his butler, the billionaire flipped the sound to the manor's surveillance system on, a task he only started doing since Dick started to live with them. While deep down in the Batcave, the two men could not hear the young boy call for him. Bruce needed to meet Dick timely when the boy knew he was home as to alert him to anything suspicious.

Tonight was not a good night, for the masked vigilante, he was still no closer to finding out where Tony Zucco was and Joker broke out of Arkham, and now thanks to Batman, the Prince of Crime was back where he belonged.

"Hold still Master Bruce," Alfred said as he stitched shut a wound on Bruce's back.

"I'm lucky he didn't get my face." the younger man said.

"Nothing a little concealer cannot handle, sir." Alfred said, speaking from experience.

"I'm not worried about the public, I don't want Dick to see."

"Ah, so you have put though into Master Richard seeing you injured." Alfred light teased, while Bruce gave a low growl as a response. "I dear say that you have broken one of your own rules."

"What rule would that be?" the younger man replied annoyed as Alfred finished stitching.

"The rule where you would got personally invested in a case," Alfred placed a bandage over the now stitched wound and began to bandage and tape up the billionaires lesser injuries.

"Dick is not a case," Bruce said firmly jerking his arm away from Alfred.

"For someone who is not a case you certainly are looking into the death of his parents very thoroughly."

"They deserve justice." Alfred was trying to piece together the reason Bruce's sudden choice to be a parent.

"As they do, but I don't see you taking in every orphan you find."

"He has no family, Alfred."

"If he did, he would not be an orphan." Alfred retorted. "I know you see yourself in this boy. You need—" Alfred's words were cut short from the sounds of Dick's scream.

Bruce jumped up and left the Batcave on his way he shed his glove, boots, and anything else that was related to Batman. He grabbed his robe that he placed by the entrance to the Cave for just such an occasion, he then ran to Dick's room, it was dark and he could hardly see, but that did not matter to him, he could run the manor blindfolded.

When Bruce opened the door and entered the room he saw the young boy twisting and turning in his bed, "Dick," he called gently shaking the boy awake.

Dick was whimpering and crying, it was harder to coax his from this nightmare than normal. "Dad…mom…no…no!" he gasped trying to catch his breath, "Bruce! Help!" the boy's eyes flew open, but he just laid there looking up blankly.

That was new, Dick never called his name before. "It's just a nightmare," Bruce soothed and looked down at the boy worried, he was pale.

Dick tried to sit up, and Bruce helped him, then handed him a glass of water that was waiting on his bedside table, the acrobat refused the water and threw his arms around Bruce, his hand hit the new mark on the older man's back. Bruce set the water down and easily ignored the light twinge of pain as he pulled Dick into a tight hug.

"You-tried-to-catch-them…but-then-I-fell…you-caught-me," Dick's words ran together. "I fell with them…" he buried his face in Bruce's chest and cried.

"Shh, it's okay, you're safe now," Bruce rubbed Dick's back hoping it would calm him. The billionaire was getting worried about his ward, between school starting the Monday and the party that occurred the previous Friday, the poor boy was nervous and scared, even if he was trying to hide it, Bruce knew Dick was strong kid, but in the that's what he was, just a scared kid.

Alfred look in on the pair, Richard was different, Bruce was right, he was not a case, he was something else, he was slowly becoming family to the isolated billionaire, could this young acrobat help Bruce as much as he was helping him?

* * *

 **A/N: DaddyBats to the rescue in this chapter! Can you guess Dick's dream?**

 **I also posted a one-shot fic the other day too, so feel free to check that out too!**


	6. Second Guessing

Dick woke up to find Bruce sleeping in the chair next to his bed. He remembered the nightmare. It started like how all his nightmares started. He was standing on the platform watching parents fly across the stage, waiting to join them. The crowd was cheering, mesmerized by the fearlessness of the flying with no net. The youngest member of the Flying Graysons smiled as his mother swung closer to his father, she elegantly flipped off the bar and he caught her firmly by the ankles leaving her hands free to catch her son. That was when it changed, this was not what really happened, he watch his parents fall to their deaths as the rope the held the trapeze bar up snapped, the boy and reached helplessly for them, but this time he tumbled forward and fell too, he was falling along side his parents.

On the floor was Bruce, with his arms out, John and Mary fell away from Bruce, but Dick landed in the billionaire's arms, the boy looked up, and instead of seeing Bruce he saw Batman, he blinked again and the figure was Bruce again.

Dick called to Bruce to help save his parents.

Dick reached under his pillow and pulled out a golden bracelet that had two robins on it. The young acrobat sniffled and hugged the bracelet. But he stopped, hearing a slight shifting noise, his heart rate slowly increased and he looked around, it was only Bruce waking up.

"Morning," Dick said suddenly feeling guilty for being the reason Bruce slept in a chair.

"Good Morning," Bruce smiled warmly, he took note on the bracelet in Dick's hands.

Dick noticed that Bruce saw the bracelet, he never showed it to him before. When they picked up the box from the detention center they never talked about it again. The boy brought the box up to his room and that was it.

"It was my mom's," Dick said, "I gave it to her. She used to call me her little robin. She said I flew like a little bird…Robins were her favorite…" he said sadly. "I went with my dad to find her a gift one time…we found this…she loved it…she always wore it…"

"Was that one of the items in the box?" Bruce asked the rhetorical question.

"Yeah…I have some pictures too." the young acrobat realized he never showed them to Bruce. The boy slipped out of bed and went to the desk and opened the top draw and pulled out three pictures. He crossed back to where the billionaire was and handed him the pictures.

Bruce looked down at the images, the first two were more faded than the third. One was of Dick with his parents, he had to have been about five or six in the picture and he was sitting on his dad's shoulders, the boy had a wide smiled on face, The three Flying Graysons all wore matching blue costumes. The second was an image of just his parents, it looked as if it was a candid picture of the two of them hugging, with Mary giving John and kiss on the cheek. The final picture was of Dick, it looked fairly recently with his father, both Grayson men were on the trapeze, John was hanging onto the bar with his knees and he was holding onto Dick's wrists, and Dick had his hands wrapped around his father's wrists.

"That was taken when we were in performing in Providence," Dick said seeing Bruce linger on the last image, "That was three stops before Gotham."

"I will have Alfred check to see if we have frames for the pictures. That way they can be properly displaced," Bruce said handing the pictures back to Dick.

"Thanks," the boy smiled.

"Now let's go get some breakfast, I smell something good," the older man said.

* * *

After breakfast Dick thought about his dream, this time he fell with his parents, he was thinking that for a brief second he thought he saw Batman in place of Bruce, this was the second time it's happened, was there a connection? Or was his mind playing trick on him?

It did get Dick to thinking about Batman, and all his technology, and Bruce was always working, was he crazy for thinking this?

* * *

Alison Emerson was one of the elementary history teachers at Gotham Academy. Miss Emerson was a new fairly new teacher, only in her mid twenties, long curly blonde hair and brown eyes. Despite not having children of her own as of yet, she was still very good with them, she made sure to get to know each student.

Today she stood at the front of her class, she looked out at the students in front of her, most were nine or ten, but there was one exception, the new student to the school Richard Grayson, he had been here just about two weeks, while he was a bright boy he did seem to be a little shy.

"With the test yesterday, we have concluded learning about the thirteen original colonies, but who can tell me what was the fourteenth state inducted into the union?" Miss Emerson looked around the room, she noticed Richard slowly raise his hand, "Richard?" she called.

"Vermont," his voice was soft, but confident.

"Correct, very good." She said, She glanced at the boy who gave a slight smile, "Now can anyone tell me the fifteenth state?" she watched the smile fade fast and two boy behind him point and say something she could not catch, Alison made sure to keep an eye on the situation for the rest of class, although she would find Richard did not participate for the rest of it.

The bell rang signaling the class to head to lunch.

"Richard a moment please," Miss Emerson said as the boy walked past.

Dick walked up to her desk, but as he walked to meet with her the one of the bullies said something into the younger boy's ear.

Alison waited until the class left before speaking to the student in front of her.

"Miss Emerson?" Dick said trying to ignore the boy's comment, "Am I in trouble?"

"Oh no, not at all, I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"School's good…I'm enjoying it," Dick said his arms were crossed over his chest and he was not looking her in the eyes.

"And the other students?"

"Oh-Oh…they're fine," he lied.

"Richard?" She said hearing the hitch in his voice. "Have you been getting teased?"

She watched as the the boy nodded quickly, but did not say anything else on the matter. "Can I go to lunch?" Dick asked.

"Of course," she said as she watched the young boy leave the room, she sighed, she knew how most bullying situations went, the victim kept quiet, but at least she knew it was happening and should would be sure to keep an eye on the situation and inform his other teachers as well as the headmaster.

Alison picked up her bag to head to lunch herself, when she turned down the hall, she saw Richard standing there with his fits out, a bloody nose, and facing off against the two boys that had been bothering him. The two boys advanced on the younger boy, who back up into the lockers giving him no where to go. Miss Emerson dropped her bag and ran to stop the fight. Although by looks of the other two boys it did appeared Dick was holding his own, but that was no reason to let the fight continue.

Dick slipped down as one of the other boys pulled back his fist ready to punch his black haired, blue eyed target, but because the younger boy slipped down the other boy's fist collided with the locker. He grunted and shook his hand, while Dick slipped away.

Before the bullies could get back at Dick, two other teachers came running down the hall to aid in the situation.

Once he was free from the bullies Dick was holding his hand to his nose trying to check on the bleeding.

"Let's get you to the nurse, okay buddy?" Miss Emerson said as Dick got to his feet. They followed behind the two teacher and the bullies.

* * *

"Mr. Wayne, phone call, it's Dick's school," Missy, his secretary said.

Bruce's heart sunk a little, phone call from school in the middle of the day was never good, Alfred usually got these calls about himself. They typically meant one thing, a fight.

* * *

Dick was sitting outside the headmaster's office nervously swinging his feet, as his feet did not quite touch the ground, he was holding an icepack to his nose. He had only been with Bruce for fairly short time, and he was already such a disappointment to the billionaire. The problems really started before he started living with the billionaire by running away from the detention center (twice), then there was his attempt to skip out on the party, the nightmares, and now the fight.

He had already talked with the headmaster and Miss Emerson about the fight, and the teasing that lead up to it, and now he was waiting for Bruce to pick him up.

Dick glanced up as he heard footsteps coming at a hurried pace closer to him, it was Bruce.

"Dick," Bruce said seeing the boy sitting there. He knelt down in from of the boy, "are you okay?"

"I'm okay," the boy said.

"Stay here I am going to speak to Headmaster Evans." he spoke quietly, but his voice still was commanding. He rose to his feet and went to the the headmaster's office.

Michelle, Headmaster Evan's secretary let Bruce into the office.

"Headmaster Evans," Bruce said reaching his hand to the other man before sitting down in the chair across from him.

"Mr. Wayne I am sorry to have to call you in like this, I know you are a busy man. It has come to my attention that while Dick may be showing early signs of excelling academically here, he seems to be experiencing problems with the other students." Headmaster Evans started.

"Are you saying he's being bullied?" Bruce asked, he guessed this by seeing Dick with the ice pack and bruising.

"Most victims of bulling will say nothing, but today one of his teachers, Miss Emerson saw the situation that transpired before the fight. The two other boys will be facing punishment for their actions."

"And Dick?" Bruce questioned.

"We are not issuing him any punishment. While he did retaliate, it was in selfdefense. Myself and the rest of the staff will be more vigilant about the situation."

"I appreciate, I will speak with Dick as well."

* * *

Neither Bruce nor Dick said anything since leaving the headmaster's office, nothing even changed in seemingly long car ride to Wayne Manor. The ride was silent the entire ride, not even the radio was on. The boy just looked blankly out the window.

The silence even remained once they got into the house. Dick pulled his tie off and unbuttoned the top three buttons on his shirt and flopped belly first onto a couch. His chest hurt and his breathing got heavy, "I don't belong here…Everyone knows I don't belong here…" Dick mumbled into the couch pillow.

"I know you have had a tough time, but don't let the other kids get to you. You are going through so much, losing your parents, moving, starting a new school, it's so much change all at once, it's a lot. I know you are trying hard, and I'm sorry I'm not here more…"

* * *

Alfred rushed down the long flight of stairs, he got a phone call from Bruce saying he was badly injured and he would need help when he got back.

Alfred heard the hum of the Batmobile's engine as it pulled into the Batcave. He waited with baited breath to see the extend of his master's condition. The self driving vehicle came to a stop and the door slowly opened and Batman stepped out, the butler could see his master's struggles, so he raced over to aid him, "Oh Master Bruce, what sorts of trouble have you gotten yourself into today?" Bruce's response was a grunt as he was helped onto the bed.

"Couple of broken ribs, knife to the right side, dislocated my shoulder, but I popped that back in already. Basically trouble I can't hide from Dick…" Bruce said, "easily."

* * *

Bruce and Dick were finding a crazy balance for their new life, he had been living with the billionaire for three weeks now, some normalcy was setting in, school was getting better for Dick, he was making friends, and all together he was becoming happier. But despite all this Bruce was starting to re think it all over especially after what happened, the previous night.

* * *

Dick laughed and slid down the banister, when he got to the end he crashed into Alfred.

"Sorry Alfred!" Dick said jumping to feet.

"Master Richard, I must insist you stop sliding down the banister, and while we are on the subject of what you should not do, I would like to remind you to stay off the chandelier." The butler was not phased by this, the young acrobat had become quite fond of using the entire manor as his personal gymnastic apparatus.

"The chandelier is the best!" the boy laughed.

"Just please keep two feet on the ground, and finish your homework!" Alfred said with a sigh as he watched Dick run off.

"I'm done!" Dick called running off, he stopped when he saw Bruce coming out of his study. "I thought Alfred said you weren't home?"

"I slipped in," Bruce smiled weakly, he was in pain, he was holding his arm close to him, refusing to use a sling for the healing dislocated shoulder. The pain was nothing he couldn't push past to keep Dick out of the dark of what happened.

Dick looked at Bruce, he could tell something was up, the young acrobat was familiar with what a dislocated shoulder looked liked, having done it himself, and seen his parents have similar problems as well.

"Dick, how was school today?" Bruce asked seeing Dick's linger stare at his shoulder

"It was okay," Dick shrugged. "Got my first big assignment."

"What's the assignment?" Bruce hoped by asking about the boy's day it would take attention away from himself.

"What I want to be when I grow up, I never thought about it before. I always thought I would just fly with my parents, it was easy when I knew what I wanted to do."

"Have you thought about any careers? You're a smart kid, you could be anything."

"Police officer," Dick was confidant when he spoke, like he put great though into it.

"What made you think of that?" Bruce questioned the career that was a far cry from one in the performance arts.

"Well…if they can't find Tony Zucco now, maybe I can when I'm older…Did you ever think to do that?" The young acrobat was so serious when he spoke, it reminded Bruce once again of himself.

"I did," Bruce spoke honestly, "but, I decided it was best to follow my father's wishes and run the family business." It was not a complete lie, but it was not the complete truth as well.

"I wish I could follow what my dad did…"

Bruce rubbed the top of Dick's head with his good arm ruffling his black hair, "You never know. You could go back when your older."

"It won't be the same…"

* * *

Bruce knew it was just a school project for Dick, but hearing him talk like that…like himself after his parents were murdered.

Bruce knew what drove himself to don the cape and cowl that concealed his identity. Bruce at a young age almost took his own life, only to realize what he was doing, and what he must do. It was in that moment he started to train himself and study.

Was Dick going to head down the same path that he went down—that he was on? Wanting justice for his parents deaths? Getting into fights. Dick was becoming more like him that he could ever have imagined, perhaps living here was not the best thing for Dick, maybe he need a real family.

* * *

"Dick I need to speak with you," Bruce said in a serious tone, it made the boy nervous. "Come sit."

He sat across from his guardian, he knew this was not good, but what did he do? He hadn't told anyone Bruce's secret, not would he ever, but Bruce's tone made his heart race, he wanted to say something, but no words came out when he opened his mouth.

To Bruce it felt like he was firing a excellent worker, someone who needed to be let go for some stupid reason concocted by the board, but this was nothing like this, he was telling a boy who had been living with him for about two months that he could no longer stay with him. Bruce was doing this for Dick, he did not deserve to loose another person in his life, yes one of his new parents could just as easily die, but the risk of that was higher that being a vigilante.

"I have not thought about this lightly, I think it will be best…" Bruce paused, and got right to it, he ripped off the preverbal bandage, "I found a nice family to take you in."

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so my really big twist makes an appearance! How will Dick react? Will he try and change Bruce's mind or go to a new home?**


	7. The Final Say

"What!? No! Why?" Dick jumped out of his chair, knocking it over in his shock.

"Dick, you're a great kid. As such, you deserve someone who is around more." It pained Bruce to see the boy like this but this was best for him. It really was ...

"I don't care! I want you! You were the first one, the only one, to care about me!" The boy blinked back hot tears before they could roll down his face. One fist came up to rub at his chest over his heart. He was feeling hurt, even betrayed.

"I personally looked into a family. I think you will like them," Bruce said, attempting to remain cheerful despite the distress Dick was in. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, only to have Dick shrug it off and pull away.

Unable to speak without for fear he would cry in front of his guardian, Dick had only one option left to him. He couldn't look at the man right now. He needed to be alone, so he ran. He would have preferred the private comfort of the bedroom he had been provided, but the tears refused to be held back any longer. Dick bolted into one of the bathrooms and slammed the door behind him, taking only enough time to throw the lock before collapsing onto the cold, hard tile. He tugged the towel from the rack and used it to muffle the sounds he made.

'I knew it! I'm too much trouble! Why did he even ask me to stay here if he didn't want a kid around? Dick thought back over everything that happened since he came to the manor. He had tried to run away once. And the fight . . . but that was not even his fault!

When the knock came, Dick yelled at the person on the other side.

"GO AWAY!"

He didn't want to speak with Bruce. Not right now, he thought, maybe not ever! He hated him! The thought crossed his mind that it could be Alfred on the other side of the door but he shoved away the guilt. He didn't want to talk to Alfred either. He just wanted to be left alone . . . to cry, to think, to wonder what would become of him now that he was alone in the world again.

Just when he thought he had found his place . . .

* * *

Bruce leaned heavily against the wall next to the bathroom Dick had disappeared into, sighing. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He felt terrible about this. Hurting Dick was the last thing he wanted to do, but he had tossed and turned all night before coming to this decision. This wasn't about him this time; this was about the boy and what was best for him . . . What would give him the best chance of growing up happy.

Listening to the sounds of Dick's weeping broke his heart. Bruce knew he needed to make a decision and stick with it. It wasn't fair of him, toying with the child's emotions like he was but being the Batman meant that he could not be there for him the way he deserved. Dick needed someone fully committed to being the father figure a young boy required, not someone who was gone more than he was here.

Shaking his head, Bruce headed down the hallway. Maybe if he gave Dick the chance to think it over, think things through, the boy would come to realize Bruce only had his best interests at heart. He would come to understand that this was the way things had to be. Bruce pushed open the swinging door that led into the kitchen. The warmth and smells of baking bread and cooking meat soothed him. The women he dated would tease him about the way to his heart was through his stomach, although none of them could ever make a better French Onion soup than Alfred. But, then again, none of them ever actually tried.

"Why do I feel like I'm making a terrible mistake, Alfred?" he asked a little desperately.

"Sir?" Alfred paused in his chopping to look at him.

"I told Dick that I wanted him to live with another family." Bruce admitted. He leaned against the kitchen island and absentmindedly stole a slice of red pepper.

The struggle on the younger man's face was clear. This situation must be tearing the Master up inside for it to slip out from under his control and show up on the exterior so visibly.

Alfred set his knife down and wiped his hands on the kitchen towel he had thrown over his shoulder earlier. He turned around, pulling two cups from the cupboard. He poured his tea and set it to steep, and then poured the young master a cup of the bitter, black brew that Bruce preferred. Alfred found there were seldom problems that a good, strong cup of tea couldn't cure, if only he could convince the younger man to give up his coffee.

"Nasty stuff," he murmured, handing it over.

"It grows on you," Bruce smiled, taking the drink gratefully.

"Hmph," the older man grunted. "If you say so, sir."

Bruce took a careful sip so as to avoid burning his mouth. "Mm, thank you, Alfred. For never drinking the stuff, you make the meanest cup o' joe I've ever had."

"I'll be sure to add that to my resume," Alfred said dryly.

"Am I wrong, Alfred?" Bruce asked, setting the coffee down. "Is sending him away the mistake it feels like in here?" He tapped his chest a couple of times. "My head says no, but my heart . . ."

"You must understand, Master Bruce, that the boy struggling not only with his grief and anger at his present situation but also with his sense of self-worth. Being shuttled around from one place to another, he is bound to feel alone and lost. You, yourself, are familiar with this feeling, sir. For, despite being able to return to the familiar environs of your home after your parents' murder, you felt the same way." Alfred took a sip of his Earl Gray, closing his eyes in appreciation. The, setting his cup down, he picked up his knife and returned to chopping his vegetables.

Bruce was silent as he considered the wisdom of his butler's words. Alfred had never steered him wrong once over the course of these long years. At least, he thought with amusement, whenever I've been willing to take the man's sage advice. He finished his coffee and rinsed his cup, setting it in the sink to be washed.

Alfred swept up the peppers and added it to the pan already filled with sweet onions and dill before he added another thought. "You realize, do you not, that he only wants to be wanted. I ask you, sir, who is there, in all of Gotham, that would want this particular boy?"

Bruce stared at the older man. "Me!" he declared firmly. " _I_ do, Alfred. _I_ want him!"

"Then, my suggestion would be that you go and tell him that," Alfred said with a small smile.

* * *

The boy had been in the bathroom for long enough. It was time to end his suffering and work this out. Bruce knocked softly on the door.

When he got no response, Bruce called out. "Dick?" Silence met him. "Dick, please, let me in. We need to talk." He listened but couldn't hear anything, no movement so, he rattled the doorknob. "Richard John, you will open this door right now," he said, this time, forcefully.

Certainly, the boy hadn't run away during the time he had been speaking with Alfred . . . but no, there were sounds coming now from within. After a few seconds, Bruce could hear the lock being turned and then the door opened. His heart broke to see Dick's reddened eyes and tear-stained face.

"Please, don't make me go away," Dick begged him quietly. His lip trembled when he spoke. "I like it here with you . . . I feel safe when I'm with you."

"Do you, now?" Bruce responded with surprise.

He had never really thought about Bruce Wayne being someone's hero before. As Batman, he had heard similar words spoken, but as himself, never. This was a first for him. He found he liked it, liked being this boy's place of safety, his refuge in a cold, unfeeling world. He could do this, he thought. He, Bruce Wayne, could save this one person and perhaps be a better man for it.

Tears hovered on those dark lashes. "Please. Please, let me stay here with you." Then in a burst of motion, Dick threw his arms around Bruce's waist. "I'm sorry! I'll be good, I promise! I won't cause any more trouble. I'm sorry for whatever I did that made you not like me anymore."

Bruce carefully peeled the boy from around him. He wanted to look in Dick's eyes when he told him, wanted Dick to see the truth in his.

"Dick, Please. Calm down. You don't understand . . . I need you to listen to me now."

Dick sniffled and pulled back, out of Bruce's hands. Although his expression became neutral, the tears kept streaming. The boy scrubbed at them with his wrist, angrily.

"That's okay," he began. "I do understand. I'm just a circus brat. I get that. Nobody wants a circus brat. But, for some reason, I thought you were different. You're not, though, are you? You're just like everyone else. You don't really care about me," Dick told him in a monotone voice, as if all the emotion had been drained from him. Only his tears told a different story. "The playboy billionaire takes in the poor circus boy . . . but the circus boy proves to too much trouble and he must be sent away."

Dick wiped at his eyes once more. He took a deep breath. It came out, shaky. "I'll go get my stuff."

Bruce caught Dick's shoulder as the child turned to walk away from him. "Dick. I want you to stay," he said.

The boy stiffened but didn't turn around. "What?" he asked in a disbelieving tone. His head turned to the side. "What did you say?"

Bruce smiled. "You heard me."

Spinning around, Dick stared up at him. The hope Bruce saw in his face was blinding.

"Say it again! Please?"

Bruce knelt down so that he was at eye level with the boy. He spoke slowly, enunciating each word that came out of his mouth carefully so that there would be no misunderstanding him.

"Dick. I want you to stay . . . here. With me." Bruce reached out and brushed the too-long hair off of his forehead. His hand hovered for a moment before Bruce let his thumb brush the tears from the boy's cheek. "I don't want you to go. I never did," he confessed. "I only wanted what was best for you and, if you believe that what is best for you is to stay with me, then you're staying."

The smile was a little slow in coming but Bruce thought he understood that. Dick looked a little afraid to believe him after Bruce had so foolishly wavered. Some rock he turned out to be.

"For real this time?"

Bruce's smile widened. "For real," he promised.

This time, when Dick threw his arms around Bruce's neck, Bruce returned the gesture, pulling the boy into a hug. He never thought he would be a father, had believed that he would never have a family of his own. Bruce had thought those dreams had shattered with his mother's pearl necklace in a darkened alley long ago. It was as if all those intervening years, Bruce had been living in those same shadows until one bright, sunny, little boy had blown the darkness around him away.

He hugged the child to him fiercely, all the while marveling that he had just become a father.

* * *

When Bruce came home, Dick was already back from school. The boy was sitting at the kitchen table on his laptop working on an assignment for school, while eating a ham and cheese sandwich Alfred made for him. The boy's ears twitched a little as he heard foot steps approaching, Bruce's to be exact.

"Hey Bruce," Dick didn't turn around and spoke with a mouth full of sandwich.

"Hello Dick, and don't speak with you mouth of food," Bruce lectured the boy ah he entered the kitchen.

"Sorry," Dick swallowed and looked up at Bruce, he noticed a box in his arms. "What's in the box?"

"It's for you, open it." The man had a playful grin on his face as he simply handed over the plain brown box.

Dick pulled open the flaps on the box and looked inside to reveal it's contents. It was all Gotham Knights merchandise. A hat, that was navy blue in color with a old English style G embroidered in yellow on the front. There was a white home jersey that read Knights with yellow lettering with a navy blue outline, in the Knights signature old English style. The shirt was navy blue with basic yellow lettering that read Gotham about the logo of a knight and Knights under the image. Finally he pulled out the navy blue jack that had the same lettering as the jersey. There was even a glove with a ball tucked inside it's closed fingers. When the boy lifted his head up to question Bruce he saw the man smiling and holding two tickets.

"Are those…"

"Tickets to tomorrow's home opener?" Bruce finished.

"But how? And all this stuff it's mine?" Dick pulled out the jersey and slipped it on over the basic red shirt he was wearing.

"Wayne Enterprise is a corporate sponsor, I pulled some strings and got you gear to wear tomorrow. It also helps when your great-grandfather built the stadium."

"You own a baseball stadium?" Hearing what Bruce owned kept amazing the young boy who grew up with almost nothing.

"Not me personally, but my company does."

"Isn't the game at two? With the ceremony starting at one? I don't get out of school until three!"

"You've never missed a day since you started. I already spoke with your teachers and you will get all the assignments you missed on Thursday. So tomorrow it's me and you all day. I have big day planned."

"What are we doing? Well, beside the game."

"Oh that's a surprise," Bruce gave Dick a broad smile.

"So do I've to do my homework?"

Bruce chuckled, "Well I don't think you will want to do it tomorrow."

Dick thought about it for a moment, the his guardian did have a point. The boy turned back to his computer and school work.

* * *

The next day Dick was excited to go to his first baseball game. The boy spend many times on the train listening to various baseball games while on the road to the next city on the tour of Haly's Circus. He would always beg his dad to take him game, but their life style made it difficult to make it to a game. It was one of the few drawbacks to being itinerate aerial acrobats.

Dick eagerly dressed in all his Knight's attire even before heading down for breakfast, he was excited to spend the entire day with Bruce. The boy ran out of his room and slid down the banister to get to the lower level. Once on the main floor the acrobat could smell the sweet scent of hot buttermilk pancakes cooking on the a hot buttered griddle mixed with the savory smell of bacon and eggs. When he got to the kitchen breakfast Bruce was waiting for him at the kitchen table sporting his own Gotham Knights jersey.

"Good morning Master Richard," Alfred smiled as he piled blueberry pancakes onto the boy's plate.

"Good morning Dick," Bruce had already started on breakfast, it appeared he has been up for quite some time since he was almost done with his breakfast.

"Mornin' Alfred, Mornin' Bruce," Dick smiled sitting down across from his guardian. The boy poured Vermont maple syrup over the pancakes before cutting into them. Dick took a big bite of pancakes, swallowed, and looked up at Bruce, "so when we going?"

* * *

 **A/N: Aw Bruce came to his** **senses, what do you think? Now Bruce and Dick are going to have some fun at a baseball game!**

 **Shout to my friends over at the Batman Writers Unite! group on Facebook for their feed back and help with this fic.**


	8. Gotham Knights

It was early April and there was still a chill in the air, so that was why Dick was surprised to see a cherry red convertible rather than the basic black town car parked in the drive way.

"Is this yours?"

"One of them. I'll have to show you my collection later, but today we have a full day planned. Hop in."

Dick ran over to the car and literally jumped in skipping the opening door part of getting into a car. Bruce shook his head as he watched the acrobat buckle into the passenger side of the car. Bruce walked around the vehicle and got into the car the conventional way. The billionaire glanced over at the boy, the day had hardly started and he already had a broad smile on his face, it was the one of the most natural smile he had seen on the boy's face. It also made deciding to raise Dick worth it.

It was a short ten minute drive during which Dick tried to get more information out of Bruce for the day ahead, but the billionaire didn't say a word. The boy eventually gave up asking and kept anxiously waiting to arrive at the stadium.

"I see it!" Dick's face lit up he tried to stand up, but his seatbelt did it's job and kept his in his seat, the stadium started to come into view, reveling the neon words reading Wayne Stadium Home of the Gotham Knights. The boy could hardly wait for Bruce to park the car to get out. When they finally park, the boy once again got out of the vehicle without using the door and ran a head to the main entrance of the stadium.

Bruce took note of the boy's speed and high energy, the thought crossed his mind to train him. The boy was a natural athlete and was used to a rigorous training schedule, and Bruce knew that Dick kept up some some of exercises to keep in shape. The long hallways and the spacious rooms were perfect for a young acrobat. On his way over to the gate Bruce called the contact on the inside informing them of their arrival.

Dick looked at the closed gate anxiously bounced on the balls of his feet waiting to get inside, Bruce soon caught up with the excited boy.

"Mr. Wayne, good to see you, this must be Dick." The man spoke, with a New York accent. He was wearing a navy blue polo shirt the a Gotham Knights logo on the upper left side, he had khaki pants, and with navy blue sneakers with yellow highlights. The man himself had sandy blond hair and blue-gray eyes. He was slightly shorter than Bruce and had a think build, and pleasant smile, with perfectly straight teeth.

"Dick this is Nathan Hayes, he is part of the public relations team for the Gotham Knights," Bruce explained as the now trio started to walk farther into stadium, closer to the field of play.

"Hi Nathan…." Dick was distracted looking around at the concourse that was lined with closed concession stands, a program stand, and Knights merchandise. Right now the place was almost silent except for the sound of some workers trekking back and forth, it was still too early for the kitchens to start their cooking.

The boy saw the tunnel that lead from the concourse into the stadium it's self, Dick felt his heart speed up with excitement, as he ran down the passage and came out on the other side. He was standing on the middle level of the stadium, looking out at the field, it took his breath away as he looked around seeing the jumbo-tron, the score board, and all the advertisements. The only people around were some staff members putting finishing touches up making the stadium look perfect, and players having batting practice.

"Pretty amazing huh?" Nathan came up behind him, "there is almost something magical about seeing the stadium for the first time." He leaned on the railing in front of them, with a wide grin on his face, that almost matched Dick's.

Bruce came up as well and setting a hand on Dick's shoulder looking out at the field with him. It had been a long time since he had been to Wayne Stadium, he usually made his appearances for the Knights at fundraising events rather than coming down to see the game, "ready?"

"Are you going to tell me what we are doing now?" Dick quickly whipped around to face his guardian.

Bruce chuckled, "First Nathan will give us a tour, after that you will see what else is in store for you."

Nathan showed Dick and Bruce around the stadium, giving them a complete (and extended) behind the scenes tour of the stadium, with lots of extra fun facts. The tour ended just outside the team's locker room, when they stopped there Nathan knocked twice on the door and waited a few moments before it opened and two Gotham Knights players stepped out. The player on the right was shorter than Nathan and his hair was buzzed close to the scalp with brown eyes, and a typical athletic build. The other player had darker skin, with black hair fashioned into dread locks, he was taller and even more well built that Bruce.

"Dick, meet Ryan Howard and Carlos Gomez," Nathan introduced them right to left. Both men extended a hand out to the young boy.

The young acrobat seemed even smaller next the two full grown athletes as he took each player's hand.

"They are going to take over from here, they will be taking you down for batting practice." Nathan explained, "I will be back after that to continue."

Dick's eyes widened, "Really?"

"Really kid," Carlos laughed, "now let get goin'!" He spoke with a broken in English with a thick hispanic accent.

* * *

Dick excitedly followed Carlos and Ryan to the field where he was going to watch the team take batting practice. When they arrived to the field he could smell the sweet scent of fresh cut grass mixed with the spay paint used to make the logo behind home plate. Most of the team had already started to get some swings in. The young boy watched in awe as the player currently batting sent the ball flying over the left field wall.

"Wanna give it a try?" Ryan glanced down at Dick as Carlos brought over a helmet and bat and handed it to the boy.

"Yes, but I've never batted before," Dick taking the hat he was wearing off and replaced it with the helmet.

Carlos lead Dick over to home plate and set him up on the right side, "Pu' yer left foot there," he pointed to the front of the plate, "an yer right one there." he then pointed to the middle part of the plate. The boy lined his feet up like he was showed. "Now hol' like 'dis," Carols adjusted Dick's hands so that his left hand was on the bottom on the handle and his right was on the top, with his knuckled aligned, Dick gave the bat a hard swing. "Good."

"Ready for the ball?" Ryan stood much closer to the boy than he would to a professional. When he tossed the ball under hand and slowly rather than fast and over hand. "Keep your eye on the ball."

Dick felt nervous as he waited for the ball, he knew it was coming nice and easy, but one of the best pitchers in the game throw you batting batting practice made the eight-year-old nervous. One top of the the best hitter in the league was teaching him how to bat.

Ryan brought his left arm and took a small step forward with his right foot. The ball rotated causing the red stitching and white leather to blur. The ball was just about ready to cross the plate Dick stepped straight forward and swung with all his might launching the ball into the air right back to Ryan, who took a few steps back easily caught it.

"Na' bad for yer firs' time!" Carlos clapped his hands together.

Bruce stood off to the side watching the excitement on Dick's face as the bat hit the ball and sailed into the air.

The acrobat set himself back up, he dug his feet into the ground like he's the the pros do as he waited for Ryan to pitch to him again, this time when the boy connected he hit a hard grounder toward where the spot where the shortstop would be.

After only a few pitches under hand, the Major League pitcher started to pitch over over hand, no where near his over one hundred mile per hour fast ball, but still a decent speed for for someone his age.

The billionaire vigilante noticed how quickly Dick adapted and learnt the new skill very easily, it brought him back to his earlier thought about training the young acrobat.

"Bruce! Did you see that?" the boy was pointed out at the ball that made it a good two hundred feet, that could have been a home run had he hit in a Little League field, but instead it landed less the halfway into the outfield, it was still and impressive feat for someone who just learned how to bat.

"Hey kiddo let's end on that note! I can see the field crew getting anxious to get out here, let's head to the dugout for some pictures before, Carlos and me need to head back." Ryan started to walk away from the spot he was pitching from.

"Aw," Dick took the bat off his shoulder where it was resting while waiting for the next pitch, he followed the two players and Bruce to the dugout. The boy enjoyed putting on a show for the adults around him, he missed putting on shows, it was what he lived to do in the circus and to be so abruptly taken from it was hard, so if even it was for a short time, it was a nice to be back in the spot light.

"Don't worry, Dick," Bruce ruffled the boy's already messy hair after he took his helmet off, "We still have more fun planned for today."

Once in the dugout Ryan and Carlos both posed for pictures with the acrobat, then they signed the bat and helmet, as well as a ball before heading off to the locker room to prepare for the game that was in two hours.

Now when Dick and Bruce reached the concourse with Nathan they were instantly hit with the tantalizing smell of all the stadium classics, the sizzling of peppers and onion, and the loud excited chatter of the other fans who were now quickly starting to fill the stadium. Bruce placed a hand on Dick's shoulder keeping the boy close to him. It struck the at how instinctive it was to keep the boy close to him, he had been a father for nearly two weeks.

"Almost there," Nathan called over his shoulder as they approached an elevator.

"Where are we going?" Dick looked up at Bruce confused as to why there not entering the main sitting area.

"The owner's suite." Bruce spoke casually as Dick shot him a look of shock.

Dick could not help, but listen to what the people around him were saying, he could hear Bruce's name being said, mostly in shock. Parents telling their kids no, they could not something. The workers trying to sound chipper when taking orders. There was a young boy practically dragging his father to the merchandise kiosk.

"Can I get a foam finger?" Dick ask as he looked at the father as he finally caved and took his son over to buy on.

"Of course," Bruce veered off course slightly to the kiosk.

They waited in line behind the man and his son. "here you go ,Timmy," the man said handing a bright yellow finger to the bouncing dark haired boy. The kid immediately shoved his hand in the giant finger and waved it around in triumph.

It was Bruce and Dick's turn now, the girl behind the counter was brunette with medium length dark brown hair and soft brown eye, her name tag read 'Angela' "Hi, what can I get you today?" She asked with a genuine smile on her face.

The boy looked to his guardian before speaking, the man nodded to the boy seeing the boy was seeking permission to speak.

"A foam finger," Dick smiled.

"Blue or yellow?" She held up one of each.

"Blue," the boy decided.

Angela handed him the navy blue foam finger and Bruce paid for it and they continued on their way.

"You will probably have most of the suite to yourself until the game starts, most of them will be on the field prior to the game." Nathan explained stopping in front of plain looking elevator. He pressed the up arrow and waited for the elevator car to stop, once it did the silver door opened and they trio stepped inside.

It was a short ride up, and when the elevator stop and the door opened it revealed a well decorated hallway that was filled with pictures of past player and signed memorabilia.

The trio walked past three suits before they reached the one they were going to be staying in. Nathan opened the door the a room that was divided in two. The part they were entering into was cheery, yet business-like, the walls were dark blue with light wood accents. Just like in the hall there was pictures and other memorabilia on the walls. Two large televisions were mounted on the far wall facing the door showing Gotham's local sports network. There was plush chairs and tall tables that were for standing around. A long table with a white table cloth lined the part of the right side was topped with chaffing dished waiting for food. Across the the room was small bar. On the other side of the all glass partition were stadium seats for watching the game.

"You like it?" Bruce asked after not getting response from the boy.

"This is where we are watching the game from?" Dick looked up at the billionaire.

Bruce chuckled, "it is."

Dick ran over to the railing and looked out over the field. He looked down at all the people below the families talking and laughing, people taking pictures. Bruce joined the boy.

"It reminds me of the circus," Dick told Bruce. "The smell of popcorn, cotton candy, peanuts, now being up high, all that's missing is elephant poop and saw dust! I just wish I could go flying across the field!" the acrobat stood on his tip toes and leaned over the railing slightly and spread his arms out.

"Well no flying," Bruce was starting to feel a little anxious seeing the boy's actions.

Dick smiled, "I like flying, it makes me feel like a bird, like a robin. I know! You should fly with me!"

Bruce returned the smile and ruffled Dick's hair. Remembering the story Dick told him about how robins were his mother's favorite bird. "I'd love to, but right now let's get some food before the game starts."

The pair went back into the enclosed room where the food had been brought out. The room was filled with the savory smell of cheese burgers, hot dogs, and french fries. Dick happily filled his plate with a large mound of french fires with a cheeseburger balanced on top. Once their plates were full they went back out the out seating area to eat and watch the game.

* * *

It was the bottom of the ninth and the Knights were down by one, with one out, and on one on. The number three batter, Shane Nester. The bat connected with the ball and sent the ball sailing down the left field and hooked fowl. Hope was still in their the count was now two balls and one strike, this time the hit was a hard grounder to the third baseman, Shane ran as hard as he could as the fans cheered him on.

"OUT!" the umpire called causing a chorus of groans from the fans over the close call.

The fans cheered as Carlos Gomez stepped out of the on deck circle and stepped into the left side of the plate, his dug his feet in and waited for the first pitch. The stadium was almost silent as everyone held the breath as the ball connected with the the wooden bat, it was a hard hit to right center, the ball was high, and going deep, deeper. It was gone!

"And the Knights win!" the announcement was drowned out the the cheering fans as the players rushed to home plate to meet the hero of the game.

"YES! Carlos did it!" Dick called as he jumped up and down waving his foam finger in the air. The boy bounced over to join Bruce. "I meet him! and he won the game! That was so fun! It was so good!" There was a wide smile plastered across.

* * *

Bruce and Dick exited the suite with the boy happily chatting about the game. The older man unintentionally half listening to the fast talking eight-year-old, he was trying to keep a close eye on the undersized boy.

"Slow down kiddo, once we get down to the concourse there will be more people, stay close okay?" Bruce instructed as they reached the elevator.

The pair entered the elevator with several other patrons and they took the short ride down to the concourse. Once the elevator doors slide open the sound of thousands of people meet their ears. People were talking about the game, and trying to remember where they parked. Parents are making sure they had a firm hold on the children in the crowd.

Dick was pushed around in the crowd, he turned his heard to find the billionaire, but all he could see was, it was hard for the eight-year-old to see surrounded by mostly adults. "Bruce!"

In the noise of the crowd Bruce thought he could faintly hear is name, it was not uncommon for people to point him out when he was in public, but was different, it was the sound of desperation, he looked down and did not see his young ward. "Dick!"

* * *

 **A/N: The baseball game is done! The Knight won! Dick had a great time, but now he's separated from. Having some Bruce/Dick bonding time**

 **Thanks for the reviews/favs/follows I've gotten so far! Can't wait to hear from everyone!**

 **Another shot out to my friends on Facebook at the Batman Writers Unite! group :)**


	9. After the Game

Dick was swept away like a pebble in the ocean. "Bruce!" Dick called while he tried his way back to his guardian, but the task was useless. The boy's heart started to beat harder, but maybe getting back was the wrong idea. What if he meet him at the car, though he didn't really remember where they parked, he was too excited when they first arrived.

As Batman, Bruce had fought against the villains of Gotham fearlessly, even being exposed to fear toxins on more than one occasion, but this was a different fear. Beside Alfred he hasn't had anyone he cared about, not like this. Now he had Dick, who was quickly becoming more than a ward, he was becoming more of a son, and now that son was lost.

"Dick?" Bruce called again searching the crowd for the boy. ' _Damn it! I should have come up with a plan in case we get separated! I should have thought of that! Dick is a smart boy, perhaps he will think to meet me at the car. After this I'm getting him a cell phone!'_

* * *

Dick now found himself outside the stadium now, he started to look around to see where he was, trying to remember how he got here, he knew it was close, he remembered seeing the stadium as he was running ahead. If they were parked father away Bruce would not have let him run ahead. 'C _ome on Grayson, think! Bruce wouldn't leave you behind, he'd find you, like he always does. So even if you can't find the car it's okay_ '

The young boy shuffled to the side so that he would not be in the thick of the crowd. Before he started living with Bruce, the young acrobat would have done anything to get lost in the crowd and carried away, but now he had people who cared about him, and in turn he cared about.

Once on the side he scanned for his guardian, "Bruce!" he tried calling out again just incase the older man was close enough to hear his cry.

Dick walked with the crowd, when the awful stench of beer mixed with hot dogs came closer to him. The smell made his stomach turn, and he liked hot dogs!

"Ya lso' li'l boy?" a clearly drunk man slurred. The man was middle aged with thinning salt and pepper hair. He was about three hundred pounds and carried most of the weight in the belly. His gray Gotham Knights shirt had a yellow mustard down the front of his shirt.

"I'm okay," Dick smiled politely as he tried to walk away, he was feeling very uncomfortable now. He has had to deal with his fair share of drunken locals living in the circus, but never alone, his father was usually close by.

"Ya' sure kid?" he followed Dick closely.

"He's positive," a deep gravelly voice, came out of no where, the sound sent a shiver down the boy's spine.

Dick looked up to see Bruce, he looked up let out a sigh of relief and smiled to his guardian.

"Now I suggest you be on your way before I call security, or better yet the cops. Last time I check public intoxication was still illegal." Bruce made sure to use his normal speaking voice when speaking now, his point was made.

"Ain't no reas'n ta do that!" The man said holding his hands and backing out of the way. In the the process of getting away from them he bumped into some other fans as he disappeared into the crowd.

"Dick, are you okay?" Bruce asked, kneeling down in front of Dick. The man's voice becoming even softer, once satisfied that Dick was unharmed he stood up.

"I'm okay, thanks." Dick slipped his small hand into into Bruce's larger one.

"Okay…let's go," The older man was slightly taken aback by this action as they started their way to the car. "Now, you need to be careful around strangers, you can not go off with anyone, just because they said they would help you." Bruce looked a head to make sure no other threats were coming.

"You helped me," Dick gave Bruce a sly smile.

"You were also bleeding and unconscious, I got you medical help. Not all strangers have your best interest in mind. The world is full of evil." He briefly looked down at the boy, ' _And I am going to protect you from it."_

As Bruce and Dick joined the crowd again the older man made sure to hold the young boy's hand tight and pull him closer, in fear of losing him again.

"I know…and I wasn't going to go with him. I knew he was drunken gilly." Dick looked up at Bruce, with his large sparkling blue eyes.

"Gilly?" Bruce asked thinking over the many languages he knew and could not think of that was correct in the context that Dick had used it.

"Oh, that's carny slang for a local," Dick shrugged, it was weird explaining the meaning to someone, everyone he knew always was familiar with the term.

"Oh really? So am I a gilly?" Bruce raised an eye brow, thinking over the term local. Now that he thought about it, Dick always moved around, so Gotham would be the first place he could really call home.

"Yeah, but a good one! You're more of a gajo, a non gypsy, it's Romani."

"You can speak two languages?" Bruce asked having never heard Dick use another language since coming to live with him.

"Four," the boy held up four fingers, "Romani, English, French and Russian. I was learning Spanish from Lala, she was teaching me fortune telling too. My parents trained more than me, so when they training or performing others would watch me and teach me stuff."

Bruce found it interesting that Dick put Romani before English, implying that English could very well be his second language or at the very least he learned Romani and English along side each other. "So that must be why you selected Spanish for your language."

"Yeah, but I know more than most of the class."

Bruce looked down impressed at the boy. Dick kept surprising him with his intelligence. Then again it didn't surprise him too much, always being on the road there was only so much he could do on long train rides. What was even more impressive is that on top of his stellar education he was also his intense training.

When the cherry red convertible came into view, Bruce reached his free hand into his jacket pocket to pull out the keys and unlocked the car. Once they got a little closer the billionaire let go of the boy's had to allow him to run ahead and once again use the doorless entrance to enter the car. The older man got in the proper way and started the car.

"Bruce?" the boy asked as he buckled his seat belt.

"Yes, Dick." Bruce buckled himself in after putting the baseball bat and helmet in the back seat, while the boy held onto his foam finger and ball.

"Thanks for everything today." Dick fiddled with the foam finger in his hand.

"You're welcome bud, I am glad you enjoyed it."

"Let's do it again!" Dick smiled waving his foam finger in the air.

"That sounds like a great idea," Bruce gave Dick small smile, he had something to tell the boy, but he didn't want to ruin his day.

Dick looked to Bruce, his guardian's face and words were contradicting, "what's wrong?" Dick took the foam finger off his hand and put it at his feet and picked up the baseball instead.

"You're very observant," Bruce sighed knowing it would be hard to hide anything from the boy. He thought back to when he got injured and Dick picked up on it then as well.

"That's what happens when one of your babysitters is a fortune teller…so what do you have to tell me?"

"Dick, Lieutenant Gordon, he wants to go over your statement again. It doesn't have to be today, but it had to be by week's end." Bruce kept his voice calm.

Dick's face fell, "I don't want to." he mumbled looking down into his hands where he was rolling around the baseball he got. "It hasn't changed…" the boy's voice started to crack and tears started to slip down his cheeks.

"It's not easy, trust me I know. Some times, after giving your statement you remember something that you didn't before…like that his jacket was brown leather…and not black." Bruce said absently thinking back to revising his own statement on his parents's death, he shook the dark image from his mind to focus on the sad little boy in the passenger seat. "We we can go tomorrow." Bruce offered.

The acrobat sniffled, "nah…it's okay…I wanna go today. Get it over with…"

Bruce reached over and patted Dick on the shoulder before putting the car into drive.

Dick let the baseball roll from his hand and onto the floor, it hit the carpet with a dull thump and then started to roll around at his feet. The boy folded his arms on the door of the convertible and looked blankly out as they drove the the police precinct.

* * *

They soon pulled up in front of the old brick building. There were six long steps that lead to the blue metal door, on either side of the door there was barred windows, above the door in large white metal letters read Gotham Police Department.

Dick hadn't been to the precinct since the night of his parents death. All the feeling and emotions, of fear, sadness, emptiness, and numbness that he felt that night came rushing back. The image of his parents falling flashed before his eyes. He found himself unknowing breathing heavily. The boy felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped a little, he turned and looked to Bruce.

"Are you ready?" the older man asked looking at the now pale faced boy, "if you're not, we will wait until you are."

"No…but you're here this time…so I will be," Dick gave Bruce a half smile. The boy unbuckled himself and opened the door to get out and walked around the car to meet with Bruce.

The billionaire took the young boy by the hand and started up the stairs. Bruce opened the heavy metal door, as the door opened he could feel Dick's grip become firmer. There was a small glass room entry way. From the entry way you could see tall reception desk with an officer sitting behind it.

Dick was too short to see over the desk, so he just looked blankly at the wooden paneling.

"We're here to see Lieutenant James Gordon," Bruce told the female officer.

"I will let him know you are here," she didn't need to ask who he was, everyone in Gotham knew Bruce Wayne. She picked up the receiver to the phone and dialed the extension to the Lieutenant

After waiting only a short time Lt. Gordon came to meet his guests.

"Thank you coming in, I know it's something that's no easy for you." Lieutenant Gordon made an attempt to look Dick in the eye, but the boy was looking down at his feet.

Bruce gave a light nudge to respond, but the boy didn't take the hint, instead the billionaire cleared his throat and responded instead. "You're welcome Lieutenant."

They followed the Lieutenant to his office. There was a large glass window, but the shades were closed, the same with the window in the wooden door. Jim opened the door revealing a cramped office. The desk took up most of the room, there were two wooden chairs opposite the desk for guests to sit in. The desk, had a name plate with him name on it, next to the name plate was a photo frame and was messy, yet organized, the computer was an older model and angled to face the chair on the back of the officer's chair was his sport's coat, behind the desk was window that had a very nice view of the parking lot where the patrol vehicles were kept. In the corner of the room was a plant that had just as many brown leaves as green ones, next to the large filing cabinet. The walls were beige and peeling in some places.

"Take a seat," Jim motioned to the chairs with his hand before walking around the desk and taking his seat.

As they took their seats the chairs creaked, Dick's feet didn't reach to the floor so he sat there swing his legs back and forth while looking at the gun in Jim's shoulder holster.

The lieutenant opened up the top file folder that was on his desk and pulled over a yellow legal pad and pen.

"How have you been Dick? It's been a long time, looks like you've grown a little," Jim was trying to put the nervous boy at ease.

"Good…" Dick said not offering any information, lowering his head to look down at the floor.

"I'm ready when you are," Lieutenant Gordon did not want to draw this out any more for the boy.

The three men sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Dick started giving his statement again, not looking up the entire time. Jim listened carefully and wrote down what the boy told him.

"I know that was hard for you. I truly appreciate you going over statement again," Jim gave the boy a smile.

Dick slowly raised his head finally meeting Gordon in the eyes, "anything to help find the man who murdered my parents." the boy's voice had a hint of darkness in it.

An awkward silence hung in the air, before Bruce broke it. "Dick I need to speak with the Lieutenant in private, can you wait for in the hall way?"

"Yes, sir." Dick slipped off the chair stood up and crossed the small office to the door and let himself out closing the door behind him.

Once in the hallway Dick crossed his arms and put his back to the wall, he was tempted to listen in, but he decided against it instead he wondered down the hall to where a long wooden bench was.

* * *

"Bruce, I'm sure you are aware that Dick going over his statement again was not the sole purpose of the trip down here. Tony Zucco, after eight months of hiding, has been spotted just outside Gotham. Zucco does does not leave witnesses, even ones who are eight. We can provide you with provide you with protection." Lt. Gordon's expression grew even more serious

"I appreciate the offer, but Wayne Manor has a top of the line security system, as long as he is inside he will be safe. I would think that Gotham Academy had procedures in place." Bruce nodded, so many ideas and ways of keeping Dick safe crossed his mind, and most of them involved being dressed in black.

* * *

Dick listed to the officers talking as he made his way down the hall. He listened in about the drug busts, and the attempted breakout at Arkham Asylum. No one seemed to notice him and just talked as if no one was there.

The boy soon arrived at the bench, it was a long, narrow and painted black, it was just seat with no back. Rather than sitting on the bench Dick laid down on it looking up at the drop ceiling, the he rolled his head to face the wall and noticed some dried fleck of blood the janitor must have missed.

* * *

"We have Tony Zucco already on the no entrance list at Gotham Academy, I had him placed on the list once I found out of Dick's acceptance. As you are aware we are in the process of filling a restraining order against Tony Zucco, on the behalf of Dick."

"But nothing can be official without a hearing," Bruce sighed.

"I have talked to Matt, the Assistant District Attorney and he said providing Zucco is found guilty of the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Grayson the judge will issue the restraining order we will request for Dick, until then all we can offer is protective custody for him. Bruce, you cannot keep this from him forever, you may have to tell him, or if you would like I could speak with him."

"I appreciate everything you have done for him, but I think it will be better coming from me, thank you Jim." Bruce stood up and shook the Lieutenant's hand before the pair crossed the room. The billionaire opened the door and turned right to the direction Dick went, Jim was close behind him.

"Dick, are you ready to go?" The door shut and Bruce looked down at Dick who was still laying on the bench, It was clear to secret defender of Gotham that the boy was visibly shaken.

The acrobat rolled over and jumped to his feet easily, but didn't say a word. Bruce place a hand in understanding on Dick's shoulder.

"Yeah…I'm hungry."

Bruce chuckled, "you're always hungry, how do you keep eating and still stay so skinny?"

Dick shrugged and started to talk down the hall with Bruce and Jim.

Jim gave a soft laugh "Does he ever sit still?"

"Never," Bruce laughed, "point taken."

* * *

Dick was laying in his bed with his covers over his head. He was thinking about the day, the highs and the lows. There was knock at the door.

"It's open," Dick called from under the covers.

The door creaked open "Just here to say good night," Bruce crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed as the boy pulled the covers off of him reviling untidy black hair. "I'm glad you had fun at the game today, I did too."

"I like spending time with you," Dick sat up in his bed to face's Bruce's profile.

Bruce reached over and ruffled the boy's hair, "I like spending time with you too kid." He hesitated for a moment, "I need to tell you something."

"Tell me what?"

"Remember when I spoke with Lt. Gordon?" Bruce pause waiting for Dick to reply, but only a slight nod came. "Tony Zucco had been spotted."

"Why didn't they arrest him?" Dick's voice had a hint of bitterness in it, he felt himself go cold, eight months, eight long months, and his parents killer was back.

"He was too far, he was gone by the time the police got close, because of this I don't want you going anywhere alone."

"He wants to kill me too? Right?" Dick's voice was hardly above a whisper and shaky.

Bruce felt his throat tighten, "it's likely." he always knew this, but saying was so final, almost scary.

"I'm scared," the boy admitted, although deep down he was this bittersweet feeling that the man would be brought to justice. his eyes were glossy with tears that have not fallen yet.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Bruce pulled Dick into a tight hug, he could feel the boy's small frame shaking and he cried into his chest. The billionaire gently rubbed the acrobat's back in a circular motion. " _not only as Bruce Wayne, but Batman as well, at all costs."_ he thought to himself.

* * *

 **A/N: I want to start off by thanking everyone who reading this fic, I got some guest reviews I could not thank personally! It's starting to pick up more more, Zucco is near by, but what will Dick do if he sees him? How will Bruce react when he see's Zucco? These questions and more will be answered coming up!**


	10. The Interupted Meeting

It was Monday afternoon, the final bell rang signaling the end of school. The hallway was lined with blue half lockers and was bustling with the all the students going in multiple directions, most of the students were racing down the hall to catch the bus or their alternate transportation home, some were heading off to afternoon clubs. Typically Dick was one of the later on Mondays, but not today, and it was not because Bruce was not allowing him to remain after school, it was because Foreign Language Club was cancelled today.

Dick stood at his locker putting the books he needed to take home into his yellow backpack. He had more books than usual since he stayed home from school on Friday as well. The boy went to pull out his cellphone to call Alfred, to inform him of the last minute change.

"Hey Dick!" A chipper voice called causing him to turn his head to see a fellow classmate coming. It was Liam, he had spiked light blond hair, with thick rimmed glasses, with gray-blue eyes He was tall for his age and slightly husky.

"Oh hey Liam," Dick smiled and gave him a slight wave after closing his locker and spinning the nob.

"Because foreign language club was cancelled some of us are going to grab some burgers." Liam offered.

"I need to ask…" Dick said hesitantly looking at the phone in his hand. He was happy that he was starting to make some friends, even if they were all older than him, they seemed to accept him, but he did have specific instructions from Bruce not to leave the campus.

"Oh come on, we can make sure you are back by four." Liam's smile was reassuring.

"¡Vamonos!" Katie a brown hair, brown eyed girl called over to them. Her hair was in a messy bun and her hands were on her hips. "What's the hold up?"

"Dick needs to ask permission," Liam informed her due to Dick's silence.

"We can talk in another language the whole time, so it will be like being in class!" Katie smiled.

This really could be considered peer pressure, but the reason he was hesitant to go was because, he had a crazy murder after him, and not because he didn't want to go, he really did.

"As long as I am back before, four, my ride is very punctual." Dick put his phone into his jacket pocket. Dick thought about it, he would be with others, and if Tony Zucco didn't like witnesses would he really hurt him with others around, at a restaurant none the less.

"Good! Nick and Jack are going to meet us there!" Katie gave Dick a light shove to get moving.

"We do this all the time when it's cancelled," Liam explained to the new student.

"One time we tried to order in another language, but these Gotham Academy uniforms give us a way." Katie gestured to the logo on her jacket,

Dick laughed, "I could always speak Romani."

"Have you ever spoken another language to someone to make them stop bothering you?" Liam asked.

"All the time!" Dick laughed, "my dad would laugh at me because I would just you random words and I would change the language with every sentence. My mom would tell him to stop encouraging me."

The restaurant was not to far from campus as was often filled with Gotham Academy students after school. The trio walked up to the fast food chain restaurant, Liam opened the door, Katie and Dick followed him in. The place was brightly lit and overly colorful, lined up against the large open windows was a line of booth style seating, with chair seating in the middle of the restaurant.

"Do they even let you eat burgers in that fancy place you live?" Katie asked as they approached the counter. There were two workers at the register both wearing green polo shirts and fake smiles.

"No, I was excited to have one at the game last week." Dick chuckled thinking about the pile of french fries, topped with cheese burger and hot dog, though now he didn't want to think about hot dogs.

"Must be wild going from living in a circus to living in a mansion," Liam lead his freinds to the ordering counter.

"I'm still getting used to it. Suits and ties," Dick gave a playful gag.

Katie and Liam laughed. Once their orders were placed, they waited short time for the food to arrive. Dick ordered himself the largest burger with all the toppings he could, with a large fry and soda, and a mini pie, pretty much everything he never ate at his new home. Once they got their food the three meet their other two friends at the center large table in the center of the restaurant.

"How can you eat like that and still stay so tiny?" Katie said, "my sister would kill to eat like you and still stay skinny. She gets just salad and still complains she's fat."

Dick shrugged, he was sure to swallow what he was eating before talking, "I still work out like I did, well kind if. I don't have a trapeze, or any other apparatus for that matter."

"So what do you do?" Liam asked growing curious now too, then taking a bite of his chicken sandwich.

"Long hallways, Alfred made me stop swinging from the chandelier."

"Did you say chandelier?" Nick raised an eyebrow, he was only half listening to the eight-year-old. Nick was a short blond hair and brown eyes. His jacket was already off and hanging on the back of the chair and his tie was loosened, but still around his neck

"You're fearless!" Katie was impressed. She never saw him fly, but she was using her imagination combined with the tricks he had shown off before.

"Alright Dick, official rules of unofficial Foreign Language Club Meeting, no English." Nick told the newest member of the unofficial club.

"One more rule him," Katie spoke in English, she smoothed her skirt under her before sitting down. "No Romani, he knows enough languages not to use one we all don't know."

"Shesti!" Dick smiled widely setting down his tray and taking off his jacket and losing his tie as well. using the Romani word for nonsense.

"Usted está desesperado" Katie rolled her eyes.

Dick laughed while munching on his french fries, he was not hopeless, he just enjoyed joking around with his new friends, and this was how the rest of the hour went.

* * *

Alfred had to make a quick trip into the market to gather the last few ingredients for that night's dinner. He parked the town car in front of the small market. It had a green and white striped awning, with the words Main Street Market, it was a brick building, outside in front of the windows under the awning was bins that contained the fruits and vegetables on sale at the time.

Alfred turned the car off and stepped out, locked the car, then went into the market, The butler checked his pocket watch, he had ten minutes to pick Richard up from school. Once inside he got a fresh loaf of Italian bread, eggplant, and onions.

* * *

Dick glanced down at his watch, it was five past four, "Adiós, Au Revoir, Poshchay, Achh devlesa!" he called bidding his friends good-bye grabbing his backpack and tray of food, unknowingly leaving behind his jacket he raced out of the restaurant nearly running into a family entering the restaurant.

The boy ran back to the school, he knew Alfred was already at the school. The boy pulled open the back door and jumped into the black town car, as soon as the he shut the door the car started to move. "I'm sorry Alfred! They cancelled, because Madam Durant was out sick so we grabbed some burgers." Dick leaned back and buckled himself in.

"That's alright kid," a clearly American voice with a New York accent came from a well muscled man with olive skin and slick black hair and thick mustache in the front seat on the driver's side, while another man who looked just like the driver, except much thinner, slipped out from his hiding place in the passenger side.

Dick's eyes grew wide, this was the right car, but where was Alfred? He tried to unlock the door, but the pin style lock was in the door, with no way of getting it out, by hand. The boy banged on the window and tried to pull at the door handle, anyway, "Let me out!" Dick pulled the door handle desperately, again. He then noticed the button the would allow the window to go down, quietly he un buckled himself, he hoped his captors would have failed to think of locking the windows. He pushed the button and it started to go down, Dick willed it go faster, but once the window was open enough for him to slip out he did, leaving his backpack behind.

"Oh no you don't, our boss wound't be happy," the second man reached over to grab Dick's foot, but the man missed the speedy boy and the acrobat slipped away.

"Damn Rico! Go get him!" the driver of the car called suddenly stopping the car crashing it into the car in front. Rico jumped from the car and attempt to chase down the eight-year-old who was now running away, with brilliant speed.

* * *

Alfred carried the single bag in his left hand, while with his right hand reached into his pocket to pull out the car key, he clicked the button to un lock the car, but no sound same. The butler's eye brows knit together as he looked around for the car. Alfred looked around a little while before pulling out his phone to call the boy to inform on of the situation. After two calls to the boy's phone with no answer the butler made his way to the school, it was almost four and Richard would be out soon. It would be a ten minute walk to the school from the market. With the knowledge of Tony Zucco loose, looking for Dick he knew he needed to get to the boy quickly. On his jog to the school he called Bruce to inform him of the unfortunate circumstance that was not unfolding.

* * *

Bruce was sitting in a board meeting listening to a sales pitch when his phone started to buzz in his pocket, he quickly glanced down at the number and noticed it was Alfred's cellphone. It was strange that his butler would call at this time knowing about the meeting. Guessing it was the off chance the older man could have forgotten the meeting Bruce sent the call to voicemail.

* * *

Alfred made it back to the school, he called Dick's phone again, hoping that the reason the boy never answered was because he was in his club and didn't want to interrupt the lesson. He could hear a phone ringing, it was the ringtone Dick used, it was a distinct sound; the sound Haly's circus used when welcoming the audience.

"That's the third time his phone rang," The butler could hear a girl say.

"Let me answer it, and tell them he forgot his phone." Liam pulled Dick's phone from the right pocket, "Hi…um this is Liam…Dick forgot his phone."

Rather than speaking into the phone, he ended the phone call and went to the group of kids. "Excuse me, children would that be Richard Grayson's phone?"

"Yeah, he forgot his jacket, his phone was in his pocket." Liam said and handed Alfred the jacket, he had seen the butler before when Dick was picked up in the past.

"He's not with you?" Alfred felt his heart racing, right now it was his fault Dick was missing.

"No, he said he needed to catch his ride. I saw him get into a car, the same one he always did." There was a hint of worry in her voice.

"Thank you," Alfred said more absently than he intended, before pulling out his own phone.

Alfred called Bruce's direct line this time, knowing full well that he was in a meeting, but his master needed to know about his ward's kidnapping.

"Hello Bruce Wayne's office Missy speaking." Her voice was cheerful and chipper as always.

"Miss Melissa, it is Alfred Pennyworth, I need to speak with Master Wayne this instant."

"I'm sorry Mr. Pennyworth, he's in a meeting—"

Alfred cut her off, "I am aware of this, but this is important, it's about Master Richard."

Missy paused and bit her lip, she was under strict instructions not to disrupt the meeting, but she knew full well that if Alfred was telling her to do so it must be important. Never in her three years of being Bruce's secretary had the butler ever asked her to do this task. On top of this, he said it about about her boss's ward. "Okay, I will." She was hesitant.

"I will take any blame for Master Wayne's displeasure."

"Thank you…I will be bright back…" Missy placed the call on hold and went across the hall to the conference room. She well manicured hand hovered in front of the door before knocking. She loved her job here, and hoped this act would not get her fired, or at the very least Alfred was right about taking the blame. She also knew of Bruce's fatherly relationship to his young ward. Missy knocked, and slowly opened the door. She poked her head in and and all twelve members of the meeting look at her with judging eyes.

"Miss Bennett, what is the meaning of this interruption?" Bruce stood up and buttoned his suit jacket.

"I apologize Mr. Wayne," She said being sure to could confident and strong, "But I have a Mr. Pennyworth on the line and he saids it's about Richard, but had told me nothing more."

"Thank you Missy, please tell I will be right there, and have the call transferred to me in my office."

"Yes, sir," She said relieved that he went back to be slightly informal with her, to her that meant she was no longer in trouble. She quickly shut the door and went back to her desk.

"I deeply apologize for the for the interruption. I must take this call Richard is my ward and I would like to be sure everything his okay. I will be right back." Most of the board members knew of his new role as guardian, but never had they seen it come in the way of his job, so even they knew it must be important. As he left he received polite nods and words of understanding.

Bruce swiftly made his way to his office fearing the worse, for Alfred to interrupt the meeting it had to be be important. "Alfred…" Bruce said into the phone disregard pleasantries.

"Master Bruce, I must you inform you, the town car was stollen, Master Richard is not at the school. I fear he's been kidnapped."

Bruce's heart felt as if it stopped for a moment, he was worried enough when he was separated from the boy at the baseball game, but hearing he was kidnapped with Tony Zucco around brought a whole new level of fear to the new father.

"Call Captain Gordon. I am going to end the meeting, I will meet you at Dick's school." Bruce spoke quickly.

"Yes, sir Master Bruce." Alfred said before the line was disconnected. He felt guilty, if only he didn't stop at the market before pick up Dick.

Liam and Katie looked at each other, then Katie spoke up. "Is it our fault? We asked him to come."

"No, miss, this very well could have happened even if he stayed here on campus." Alfred wan't sure it was true, but he wanted the children to put at ease, "but be prepared to tell the police everything that happened when they arrived.

* * *

 **A/N: So what do you think? Dick has gotten himself** **in trouble, but can Bruce get him before it's too late!?**

 **Also if you didn't know I have a new AU out called 'The Start of Something New' check that one out too, it's got some crazy twists, like Thomas Wayne as Batman, and Bruce as his Robin. Dick will be hanging with them as well.**

 **leave a review/fav/follow if you like it :)**


	11. Where is Dick Grayson?

On Bruce's way to Gotham Academy he saw his town car crashed, he felt his heart stop when he saw it, hoped that if Dick was in the car that he was uninjured. The area was filled with first responders and police, along with a many on lookers. He rushed closer to the scene of the accident only to be told to go behind the police line.

"That's my car! Where is Dick?" Bruce called getting the attention of a near by field officer. The young officer came over to him. She had dark skin and her frizzy hair was pulled into bun, that was forced under her hat.

"Sarg!" She called, turning her head, "This way."

They were meet my a short man with hardly any hair left, but he did had a beard. He was wearing a light blue button down shirt with a dark blue and white striped tie, under a dark blue sports coat.

"Sargent Johnson, this is Mr. Wayne." the female office said intro introducing the pair.

"Mr. Wayne, I'm Sargent Mark Johnson, is this your vehicle?" Despite knowing this already he wanting the billionaire to confirm.

"Yes one of them, my butler, Alfred was on his way to pick up my ward, Richard Grayson, from school at Gotham Academy. He called to inform that the car was stollen, as well as the fact Dick was not here, and was seen getting into the car. I know the police have been called about Dick's disappearance, in particular Captain Gordon, please tell me, where is Dick?"

"Dick's not here, but there are reports that a boy was seen running down the street in what appeared to be a Gotham Academy uniform. We have officers looking for him. I will contact the officers at the school so that we may collaborate on this effort. Our top priority will be locating your ward. Do you have a recent picture of him?"

"No…No I don't," Bruce sighed having a brief moment of berating himself for not thinking to carry a picture of the boy, Batman was always prepared, but Bruce Wayne was not. "Wait I have one on my phone!" He was thankful for this lone piece of technology that Bruce Wayne carried. The billionaire pulled out his phone and brought up a picture that was taken at the baseball game last week. The picture was of Dick with big smile of his face, his large blue eyes almost sparkled, and his messy black hair stuck out from under that hat was a little to big on his head, and had all of Wayne Stadium behind him as the picture was taken from suit high above the stadium.

"I will be sure Captain Gordon knows." Sargent Johnson looking at the picture of the boy and wrote a description. "Height and weight?"

"He's just under fifty pounds, and is about forty-eights inches. He's eight, but small for his age." Bruce felt his heart clench even more as he describe Dick.

Now that it was known the accident was tied with Dick's disappearance, the two teams of police officers converged and gather all information, with Captain Gordon taking lead.

* * *

Dick ran five blocks and still didn't see any sign of Tony Zucco, or any of his associates. Needing to calm his breathing the boy slipped into the nearest ally and hid behind the dumpster. The boy was truly scared, he had a crazy murder after him, right now he was all alone. Dick frantically searched his pockets for cell phone only to realize it was in his jacket, and he forgot that at the restaurant.

The young acrobat knew that he needed to get somewhere to call Bruce or Alfred. He stepped out of the alley way, and started to walk down the street and back to school. Dick walked a little way down the street when he felt like he was being followed, he hoped it was his anxiety getting the better of him. He wished there was more people on the street so he could blend in. He went to cross the street, he had to stop since there was a silver car with missing hubcaps wrongfully parked on the cross walk. Dick stepped back when the car door was opened to let the car's occupants out. His eyes grew wide when he saw who it was, well he didn't exactly know who, but it was clear they were with the two men who originally kidnapped him. The burley tanned man, with thick dark hair and mustache. Reached out and grabbed Dick roughly.

Dick attempted to cry out for help but the man used his large hand to slap the boy across the face and dragged him into the car.

The boy started thrashing around in an to attempt to break free, but the man had a firm grip on Dick's mouth and dragged the struggling boy with him into the car and drove to the Gotham docks. Dick strained to look out the window, he wanted to look for a way out.

The thugs carried Dick from the car, they were in the warhorse district by the docks. More than half the wooden warhorses were boarded up. Dick felt an anxiety attack coming, this was were he was when he ran away right before going to live with Bruce, at least he knew he could jump into the waters and swim his way to the beach if he had too, but that would be a last ditch plan.

One went inside a rundown wear house, the windows that faced them were cracked, and the door looked like a patchwork quilt.

The acrobat was struggling to get away. He swung his leg back and kicked the man in the groin causing him to drop the boy who took the opportunity to run. "Get...him..." the man groaned from the ground trying to gain composure as the man who went inside came out with Tony Zucco.

Upon seeing seeing his underling on the ground he grew angry, "How the hell does and eight year old best you! You idiots! Forget it! I will get him!" Zucco shouted.

Dick took his head start as an opportunity to run into another wear house. The boy struggled to push the door open just enough to allow himself to slip into. This wear house was filled with piled covered in patched up white tarps, there was hardly any space to walk around making it the perfect place to hide. He found a place on the far side of the building, that had just enough space for the small boy to hide, he brought his knees to his chest and held on to them. He didn't know how long he would have to wait, but for right now he was safe.

* * *

Bruce arrived to Gotham Academy and was now waiting with Alfred. The billionaire was holding Dick's yellow backpack in his hand. He was given the backpack when it was not declared part of evidence. Alfred was holding onto Dick's jacket.

"Bruce, don't worry we will find him," Jim Gordon told him when he came over to the pair after speaking with Dick's friends.

"I know you will, I'm just worried Zucco will find him first." Bruce sighed.

"Bruce, go home, incase Dick shows up there. We will keep someone here until we find him." Gordon offered, knowing it was not best for the man to dwell here at the school.

Bruce nodded, secretly he was glad to be sent home. That way he could don his cape and cowl and go looking for Dick himself as Batman.

"Come on sir, allow me to drive," Alfred placed a hand on Bruce's arm. The billionaire gave the keys to his trusted butler.

Once they got into the car Bruce looked into the rear view mirror. "I don't blame you Alfred."

"I know sir." Alfred spoke the words halfheartedly. "If anyone can find Master Richard, it will be you, Master Bruce."

"And I won't stop until I find him." Bruce vowed, these were the last words spoken, the rest of the ride to the manor was in silence, not even the radio played.

* * *

After what felt like forever, Dick could hear the door creaking open, who ever was trying to get in was clearly larger than the small boy and needed to open the door more to gain access. The acrobat held his breath, closed his eyes, and wished he could disappear. The footsteps that were once distant, but now coming closer.

Dick knew had to get out, or pray he wouldn't be found, but he knew that latter would be impossible when he could hear the crates next to him came crashing down. The tarp was taken of the Dicks hiding place. The scared boy did the only thing he could could think of, knock over the pile giving a small barricade between him and the man chasing him, once the greats came crashing down he ran.

The acrobat found another door and tugged at the pull bar, it would not budge, knowing he dint's have time to fight the door, he needed a way out _now. G_ oing back the way he came in was not an option. It was then he saw a large glass window, it was not boarded up like the rest in the building, but it was filled with cracks and some missing panels. He ran back to give himself speed and moment, then jumped into the window shielding his face when he hit the ground he rolled, a skill that was natural to him. He could feel some cuts on his arms, but he didn't care, he free, well from the wear house, but he was not safe.

Dick knew he had to lose Zucco some how, the crash through the window may have been a way out, but it was not quiet and attention would not easily be brought to him. The trick now was to be quick and random, and rather than running into another building he climbed up a fire escape and onto the roof.

* * *

Alfred pulled in front of the house and Bruce didn't wait for the car to stop before he jumped out of the vehicle and raced into the house and to the grandfather clock that concealed the entrance to the Batcave. Turn the clock to exactly 10:47, the clock moved and Bruce rushed down.

He had nothing to go on, and right now it was only speculation that it was Zucco and his gang who took the boy. Being the the public eye with Bruce would make Dick the target for anyone looking to make fast money but placing a ransom on Dick's head knowing the billionaire would pay to get his ward back.

If the kidnappers had kept the town car then Bruce could have tracked it, right now he was grasping at straws. He brought up every file he had on Tony Zucco in an attempt to find a potential location.

Quickly changing into his Batman costume, Bruce prepared to leave, while Alfred took over at the computer to aid in anyway he could.

"Alfred, I'm starting at the docks," Bruce reported, "That's where I found Dick the first time he went missing.

"Yes sir," Alfred nodded and started to look for any surveillance footage in that area.

* * *

Dick stood on the roof, and when he heard someone coming up the ladder he got a stupid idea on how to get away, jump across to the next roof top. If Batman could do it so could he, after he all he was trained acrobat and gymnast. It sounded easier that it was. The acrobat gave himself a long running start and when he got near the edge of the building he jumped off, he soared through the air, his tie attempting to fly behind him, his hair falling in his face. He waited for the next roof to appear under his feet, but only his toes caught the edge, Quickly thinking he leaned forward to stop himself from backwards, when he leaned forward he landed on his hands and knees, he quickly got up and kept running, when he got the edge of this building he jumped this time as well, but this landing was better, even if it was only slightly, but he was getting better, and that was something it was only his second time trying to jump across a rooftop with a man man chasing him.

Dick was halfway across the roof when he heard heavy footsteps with him on the rooftop with him, out of the corner of his eye he saw the mobster who was after him. Dick stayed quiet, the man did not notice the boy, yet. Dick still had a chance to use the element of surprise. The acrobat quietly scaled up the water tower. It was up at this level with the unsuspecting man below him that gave Dick another dumb idea, jump down and attack.

* * *

Batman finally caught up with Dick, with the help of Alfred and his surveillance cameras. "Alfred, I see him. Thanks."

 _"_ _Oh, thank heavens,"_ Alfred replied.

The Dark Knight found the boy on a roof top sitting on Zucco's chest, using every ounce of strength he had in his body to use his parents killer as a punching bag. Tears streamed down Dick's bruised cheeks.

The mobster's face was bruised as well, from Dick's sloppy punches, but the man was getting ready to throw the boy off, and if he was successful things would not end well for the boy.

"Dick! Stop it!" Batman ran over and picked Dick up. The boy was now trying to fight against him.

"He killed my parents! Let me at him!" Dick cried. "Let me at him!" blinded by tears still trying to fight against Batman. "You-"

"Would never kill anyone!" his voice was sharp, "Now, sit here and don't move!" Batman commanded setting down the who tried to stop crying. Dick brought his knees up yo his chest and placed his forehead on his knees, ignoring his stinging bloody knuckles from not knowing how to punch correctly.

It hurt Bruce seeing the boy like this. He knew he would be faced with the same emotions if he meet his parents killer like this.

Batman then picked up Tony Zucco roughly by his shirt, and walked to the end of the building and dangled the man over the edge. "You hurt that boy again or have anything to do with him getting hurt, you will have me to deal with! But that should not be hard do while rotting in prison."

Dick lifted his head up,' _Why does Batman care about me? I'm just a circus brat…_ ' The boy stood up and started to make his way to the vigilante.

Batman got his face close to Zucco's, without any warning Batman used his grappling gun to leap from the building, once he landed on the ground he hand cuffed Zucco to a chain link barricade. Alfred had been keeping the police informed and when Batman informed him he found Dick, Alfred contacted the police.

Then went back to Dick, who was now looking over the edge of the building.

"I told you to stay put," Batman growled.

"I'm sorry…I just…" the boy as rubbing his sore knuckles while he watch his parents killer struggle against the handcuffs. Flashing blue and red lights followed the shrill sound of the sirens. "Why didn't you—"

"Kill him?" the vigilante filled in the sentence he anticipated the boy was going to say. "We don't kill, we use _justice_." Batman turned to looked Dick in the eyes.

"We?" the the boy questioned.

Batman took Dick by the hand and pulled him deep into the shadows hiding from eye sight.

"We." he pulled the black cowl with bat ears that covered the top half of his face off.

* * *

 **A/N: So what do you think Dick's reaction will be?**

 **Thanks to all have faved/commented/followed this fic! I love to hearing from you guys!**

 **Keep a look out for my other fic 'The Start of Something New' as well!**


	12. One Year Later: What Happened?

_"_ _Bruce…it's been you this whole time?" Dick smiled._

 _It seemed like just yesterday he told Dick his secret, but in reality that was a year ago now._

The room was dark and musty when Batman opened his eyes, there was only a slight difference from when they were closed. Slowly a door opened across the room, flooding the small space with a blinding light, instinctively he closed he eyes, the light was too bright to gain any insight as to what the room held beside the chair and door. Some was tossed into the room, by the sicking sound it made when body hit the ground, he knew it was a child. He struggled to use the little light he had to get a better view, he could just make out the familiar silhouette, his heart sank.

By quickly rotating his wrists back and forth Batman was able to free his wrist from being tied together. He needed to work fast to aid his young side kick, who knew what the boy had endured, or even if he survived it. He pushed the latter thought from his mind, Robin was strong, surly he was alive, still as board, but alive. Once his wrists were free he was able to reach the knife hidden in his boot to cut the rope that held his ankles together, having been tied together of an unknown amount of time he stumbled to his feet and raced to his young protégé.

The boy was laying on his side unmoving. Kneeling down on the cold damp floor, he gently shook the his side kick, talking to him would alert their captors. After getting no response Batman checked Robin's pulse, it took longer than he wanted to feel the weak and thready carotid pulse. " _Dick, please wake up,"_ Batman thought to himself.

He knew he had to be carful moving the boy because he did not know the full extent of his injuries, gently he rolled Robin onto his back all the while being sure to support the boy's neck to fear of injury. All of this was done quickly and efficiently, time was of the essence, he needed to check for signs of breathing. Gently placing his hand on the boy's forehead and tipped it back, so he could better open the airway, Robin's mouth opened slightly as he did this, he leaned close to the Boy Wonder to feel and hear the sounds of breathing. Batman was relieved to feel the gentle puff on hot air escape the boy's lungs. Robin was alive and breathing, at the moment. Now he knew he needed to check for injures. The darkness made this task hard, but not impossible for the man who spent most of his time in the shadows.

" _What was I thinking…I should never have allowed you to come with me…"_

He knew by moving Robin, that the boy's face was bruised and cut, some of the cuts were fresh, and some the blood had dried, knowing the this he was sure the rest of his body looked similar, and he would find out he was right. The list was long on the injuries he was able to locate, dislocated shoulder, broken fingers, ribs, and at least one wrist, multiple contusions and swelling, he was abused— tortured was more like it. He could feel his hair was matted with dried blood. The injury was more circular in shape, to the Dark Night it meant it was a blow to the head rather than a cut. All would heal in time, Batman was just thankful Robin was not bleeding out. " _I know I trained you to be strong, I know you had your fair share of broken ribs and bones from training, Dick…I'm sorry…"_

Once he knew Robin was safe, he needed to find a way to escape. Batman did not want to leave his protégé alone for too long, but even in this one room location, but he could work faster with out holding the boy.

The vigilante paced the room, it was a ten foot by ten foot space, made of cement judging by the texture of the wall. The room must have be an interior room due to the lack of windows, possibly a basement, a damp one, was it near water? The only object in the room was the chair he was in. This meant one thing, the door was the only entrance exit. Batman thought of how Robin was tossed into the once want he himself was conscious, that meant they must be watching them, there must be cameras.

Batman went over to the door and felt around for a door nob, he didn't find one, so the door only opened from the outside. There was no light coming under the door, that meant that once the door was opened he needed to get their captors in the room, and get himself and Robin out.

Finding a way to escape the room would be easy, getting out unseen with an unconscious partner was going to be the hard part, despite Robin's small frame.

Before he continued his assessment Batman wanted to check on his protégé. The boy was becoming colder due to laying on the floor, his pulse and breath sounds were slowly dropping, the boy's heart rate was not ideal, but at least he had one. The Dark Night took off his signature cape and wrapped the boy in it for an extra layer of warmth.

"Robin," Batman whispered, "you need to wake up kid." he gently ruffled the boy's hair.

Batman listened carefully for sounds coming from outside the room. He could her the sound of three footsteps, the third were very quiet, a typical person would never pick up on them, but with his extensive training he picked them up. He pressed his back against the wall, holding Robin close to his chest. His training never prepared him for this, fighting while holding someone, though luckily the strong material and would be give some protection to the boy, but Bruce would do anything to keep Dick safe. The boy was not only his sidekick, but a son as well.

For the first time Batman could hear an audible sound come from Robin, but it was not the sound he wanted to hear, the sound of the boy gasping for air. "Hold on Robin." Bruce could feel his usually steady heart racing in fear of losing Dick.

Batman was thankful when the door opened, he kicked his way past their captors. He was attempting to be mindful of Dick's injuries, but he knew it would be near impossible to beat down their captors and stop Dick's wounds from reopening. While holding the boy in one arm he used the other to throw baterangs to stop them, he was getting ready to throw his third when Robin's labored breathing stopped and the boy went limp.

"Robin!" he immediately laid his protégé on the ground " _please be alive"_ he thought to himself tossing a baterang behind him hitting the last attacker. There were few skills that he possessed that he hoped he would never have to use, and CPR was one of them, especially on his now nine year old partner.

* * *

 _The room was filling with blinding white light, Dick closed his eyes and then slowly opened them, when everything came into focus he could see his parents on the far side of the room. There were dressed as they always were when they performed, blue sparking costumes. Dick looked down at his own clothing and noticed he was in his Robin costume._

 _Dick ran over to his parents, he threw his arms around his dad's waist as his mother soon joined the hug. The boy started to cry. "I missed you both. I love you."_

 _John gently pried Dick away from him and knelt down so he could look his son in the eyes, "We're proud of you son." he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder._

 _"_ _My little Robin." Mary smiled pulling Dick into a gentle hug. Dick could smell familiar scent of lavender in her hair, he missed._

 _"_ _Mom…dad…what's going on? I'm scared…"_

 _Mary placed her hands on either side of Dick's face, "Oh honey I know you're scared, but you need to be brave."_

 _"_ _Dickie, it's time to go." John said from his kneeling position next to his wife._

 _"_ _No! Don't leave me again!" The tears flowed down Dick's cheeks, he didn't even bother wiping them away._

 _"_ _This place isn't for you, not yet." John used his thumbs to wipe the tears from his son's face._

 _Dick felt himself shaking and he cried uncontrollably, he felt his chest tighten Mary pulled him into another hug and then kissed him on the cheek._

 _"_ _Your father's right, it's not your time yet. We're proud of you Dick…"_

 _Dick's vision slid out of focus, "MOM! DAD!" he cried out before everything went black again_

* * *

Bruce continued the life saving technique until it revived Robin, the boy's eye's slowly opened for a moment, "ROBIN!" the boy's eyes slowly closed again. Batman pulled the boy into a gentle hug before carrying him down the hall in an attempt to find a way out of this place. He took random turns, unknowing what way to go, or even if there more captors, there eventually had to be away out, and luckily after what seemed like and eternity he found a stair case.

Batman was losing time, he needed to get Dick help. Thankful for the feature of Batmobile that allowed the vehicle to come to him with a push of a button.

"Stay with me." Bruce felling his own heart drop again when Dick started to struggle to breath again. "I'm getting you home." The Batmobile pulled up in front of him and he raced inside. And set the vehicle to drive itself home.

* * *

 _One Year Ago_

 _Dick was wearing a white t-shirt and gray sweat pants, he was barefoot and working out on a mat. He had an escrima stick in each hand and was facing a work out dummy. The boy jumped up and did a perfect flying kick to the side of the dummy's head, and when he rotated out of the spinning kick he landed on his feet easily._

 _"_ _That was a fantastic move," Bruce complimented walking up to Dick holding a box that had a large red bow on it. "I have something for you."_

 _Dick turned his head to see Bruce. "What is it?" He walked to his his mentor picking up a towel to wipe the sweat form his forehead, before draping the towel around his shoulders. Bruce held the the box out to the slightly confused boy. "It's not my birthday."_

 _"_ _I know, just open it." Bruce nodded_

 _Dick raised an eyebrow and lifted the lid off the box. Inside the box was what looked like a red shirt with green short sleeves and yellow button like straps that served as closures, it also had an yellow R incased in a black circle on the left side of the chest, on top of the shirt was a green eye domino eye mask. He held the mask up to his eyes before placing it to the side before picking up the shirt, when he pulled it out underneath was yellow cape with collar on it. "What is this?"_

 _Bruce smiled, "it's your costume."_

 _"_ _My costume? Why…"_

 _"_ _To be my partner, Batman's."_

 _Dick's jaw dropped, his heart raced, "your partner?"_

 _"_ _You've earned it, I want you by my side protecting Gotham. Of course the decision is yours."_

 _Dick blinked and happy tears slipped down his cheeks. He had been working hard for year with everything that Bruce has thrown at him, he never thought Bruce would take him with out out to protect Gotham. "Yes! But I have to know…what's the R stand for? Richard is not logical…"_

 _"_ _Robin."_

 _"_ _Like my mom used to call me…" Dick's voice trailed._

 _"_ _Yes, I hope you don't mind."_

 _Dick touched the R on the costume. "It's perfect."_

 _"_ _Want to try it on?"_

 _"_ _Yes!" Dick took the box and ran off to change._

 _Bruce waited for Dick to come back._

* * *

Batman held his bloody sidekick in his arms as he raced from the Batmobile.

"Alfred! Hurry, he's dying."

"Master Richard," Alfred's heart skipped a beat seeing the heavily injured boy. "Place him here, and call Leslie!" the butler was taking over command of the situation.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the wait everyone. I had a little trouble with this chapter before deciding to try out a time skip, and I must say I think it worked! As you see here we will go back to over the course of Dick's training as Bruce thinks about his choice to let Dick be his side kick.**

 **I hoped you liked it! And I would love to hear from you! Thanks to everyone who have reviewed/faved/followed/read so far and don't forget to check out my other ongoing fic (very AU) 'The Start of Something New'**


	13. Don't Leave Me

Alfred used his field medic skills to look over Dick, but he knew the boy was beyond his skills, and even if Leslie came down here to help, they might not have the equipment needed to help Dick, but it was going to be risky moving him.

"Leslie…I need help…" Bruce said desperately once the doctor picked up the phone.

"Tell her to hurry sir." Alfred called over his shoulder as he attempted to bandage some of the boy's wounds. He was so worried as he looked over the various degrees of healing on the wounds. Batman and Robin had been missing three days, and judging my Batman's lack of injuries poor Robin took the brunt of the torture. Not only was his left arm broken, but every finger on that hand. He had bruises on his face in a addition to the many cuts that were on his body.

"Bruce? What's Alfred saying?" Leslie demanded.

"There's no time to waste sir, he has stopped breathing I need to intubate…" Alfred shouted before Bruce could reply to her.

"Stopped breathing? Who Dick? what happened to him?" Knowing there was a slim chance there would be another person would be with them.

"Leslie, hurry! Dick is dying…" Bruce hung up the phone.

When Bruce turned back to Dick and Alfred finished inserting the tube down the boy's throat.

"What in God's name happened? Alfred demanded as he started to treat Robin's injuries, as he had to stop when the boy stopped breathing.

"We got captured," he said joining his butler in helping with Dick's injuries.

"I guessed as much, it's been three days."

"I don't remember much...his left wrist broken." Bruce tried to see if he could recollect anything from the past three days.

Alfred worked quickly to treat Dicks injuries including putting the boy's shoulder back into it's socket, he had to be carful with the other injuries he had.

Leslie arrived as quickly as she could. "What in the hell happened to him? How long has his heart rate been this low? Did he stop breathing for the first time when we were on the phone? Bruce the boy needs a _hospital_." she spoke quickly not leaving time for answers.

"No hospitals." Bruce said firmly, not answering the other questions.

"He's not breathing and his heart rate is dangerously low. I don't even know about what internal injuries," Leslie said checking the boy over, and talking with Alfred as to his assessment she took his domino mask off so she could look at his eyes.

"I already had to revive him…"

Dick's body started to convulse, Leslie raced over and kept the boy's head straight. Once the seizure stopped, so the nine-year-olds heart stopped. The heart monitor signaled that there was no heartbeat detected.

"Dick!" Bruce called over before starting CPR, this was the second time in a short time to he had to do this, and his time two times too many.

"Do you have an AED?" Leslie asked Alfred turning around to see him already with one in his hands.

"Right here," Alfred handed it over he went for when Dick's seizure started.

Leslie watched as Bruce kept trying to revive Dick. "Bruce..." she put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

Bruce nodded and allowed her to use the defibrillator, he watched as she pressed the paddled to the boy's chest, after the first shock it didn't work, so Alfred turned the dial and changed the charge and they did it again, and three more times after that. Leslie stopped and turned the heart monitor off.

"Again!" Bruce demanded.

"Bruce it's too late. He's gone," Leslie tried her best to keep composure as she was aching over the boy's death. She was angry with Bruce for letting this happen. She turned off the alarms and removed the attachment that hooked his breathing to the machine before removing the tube it's self.

Bruce lifted the boy into his arms and cradled him, he couldn't be dead. He looked down at Dick's face, it was pale, making the bruising more pronounced, his eyes closed. Tears filled Bruce's eyes and he bought the boy closer to his chest and held him tightly, he was in a state of shock over what was going on, he felt numb.

He kissed the top of the boy's head. "I love you...Dick...son, I'm sorry."

* * *

 _Dick opened his eyes and he was back in the bright white room._

 _"Mom? Dad?" He called looking around. That's when he noticed he was wearing his Robin uniform again._

 _"Dickie..." John looked at his son sadly._

 _"Where am I?" Dick questioned, knowing that even last time he never got his answer._

 _"Look at you, my Robin," Mary smiled sadly, she placed her hand on the R emblem on his chest. There was no heart beat under it._

 _"Dad...what's going on?" Dick asked as his mother took her son's hand._

 _"Son, I have some friends for you to meet." John said turning his back still avoiding his son's questions._

 _"It will be okay sweetie," Mary smiled, "they are nice people."_

 _"Mom...what's going on? Please tell me I'm scared!" Dick questioned his mother as his father disappeared into mist._

 _"In time sweetie," she kissed him on the cheek. "You don't have to be scared."_

 _John came back with two well dressed people. One was a man dressed in a well tailored suit and a tie, who looked like an older version of Bruce with a mustache, blue eyes, and his face was more square than Bruce's. The woman, had the same brown eyes as Bruce, and wore a simple black dress with a pearl necklace. They looked familiar, but he couldn't place them._

 _They smiled at him, then the man stepped forward and knelt down in front of Dick, and placed a hand on each of Dick's shoulders, "thank you," he looking Dick in the eyes._

 _"For what? Can someone tell me what's going on?" Dick found himself getting scared, nothing was making sense._

 _The four adults looked at each other then to Dick. This time the man moved his hand from the boy's shoulder to the R on Dick's chest, still no heart beat. "For helping my son."_

 _Dick tilted his head to one side. "Are you Bruce's dad?"_

 _"I am. My name is Thomas, and this is my wife Martha. You don't know how much you have meant to Bruce."_

 _"Meant? Am I dead?" Dick asked putting his hand over his heart, thinking over the choice of words Thomas used, there was no heart beat._

 _"Mom! Dad! Please tell me am I dying?" Suddenly Dick felt a sharp pain in his chest, he put his hand over the R on his costume._

 _"You wanted to join us…but it's still too soon" his father's voice sounded far away._

 _"But, not this way..."_

 _"We are never too far from you..."_

 _"Tell Bruce we love and miss him..."_

 _"Tell him we are proud of him, of everything..."_

 _Mary and John placed their hands over the R on his costume. Dick could feel the pain again._

* * *

Bruce was now sitting on the ground still holding Dick. Everyone was right, the boy was too young, and now he was dead and now he had to think of way to explain the boy's death. He knew Leslie could help with the death certificate, but there was still so much more to think about.

Alfred looked down at the pair. The boy was such a bright spot in the manor. They celebrated Christmas for the first time since the death of Thomas and Martha with Dick last Christmas. Bruce would go out, to baseball games and other sporting events with Dick. Most of his social life was no longer a front, he enjoyed taking Dick out to events and showing him around Wayne Enterprise.

Bruce stood up. One arm was around Dick's shoulders, the boy's left arm hung limply, while his right arm laid on his chest. His other arm was under Dick's knees. He laid him in the clean bed. He looked down at his pale face. "I'm sorry Dick." Bruce said moving a stray piece of bang from from in his eyes, then he brought the sheet over the boy's head.

Alfred covered his face with his hand as he started to cry, it was like seeing his son grieve the loss of his child. Dick had become a grandson to him. Suddenly chasing Dick from using the chandeliers was just a memory, sliding down the banister, sometimes even running down it one his training started, backflips of the landings, walking on his hands. His wide smile, caring ways, the little pranks he would play that could even get Bruce to smile. Leslie gently placed a hand on the generally stoic butler's shoulder. "I knew this could have happened, but I'm not prepared...he too young." He looked over at the bedside table and saw Dick's Robin mask. He went over and picked it up, it was broken.

"He is with his parents now," Leslie said gently, "he's no longer in pain."

Bruce pulled back the covers a little to hold Dick's hand. Just one last time. He closed his eyes and remembered the oath Dick took to help protect the city, the boy took is very seriously. He was a good student.

Bruce thought about the cemetery on the grounds of Wayne manor, as a burial spot for Dick then he remembered that his parents were buried at Saint Frances's Cemetery, he should be want to be laid to rest with his parents. Bruce would get them a fitting grave marker, one for the three of them. He sighed sadly, he never thought he's have to plan funeral arrangements for Dick, he always though that the situations would have been reversed. He was thinking over everything when he thought he could feel Dick's hand lightly squeeze his. "Dick?" Bruce felt his heart skip a beat. Maybe he was hallucinating, but he pulled back the covers off the boy's face regardless. "Dick can you hear me!?" he stood up, still with his hand under Dick's

"Bruce what's going on?" Leslie asked worried.

"He squeezed my hand! Dick if you can hear me squeeze my hand again..." he took the boys limp hand in his and waited.

"Bruce, it's just-" she stopped when she saw the response. She picked up her stethoscope and pulled back the covers to the boy's waist. She frowned as she checked his heart and lung sounds, she check his eyes, they responded to light. "Bruce talk to him again." Placing the stethoscope on his chest. Alfred came over now and stood next to Leslie in disbelief.

"Dick..." Bruce said gently.

Everyone waited on baited breath. This time a hardly audible moan came from him.

"This is impossible. It's been nearly thirty minutes...I mean I've read stories..." she could hear a subtle heart beat, or was she imagining it?

"Come on bud. Open you're eyes..." Bruce almost begged.

"Bruce...don't get your hopes up...clinically this has happened before..." Leslie said gently.

Dick's eyes flickered open and looked up with at Bruce with unfocused eyes.

Bruce smiled a tear slipped down his cheek. "If you can hear me squeeze my hand." He felt Dick's soft grip. His heart swelled.

Dick opened his mouth, but his mouth was dry and he was having a little difficulty breathing. Leslie helped him get a breathing mask. "Just breath normal." She waited a moment before continuing, "better? Blink once for yes, two for no."

Dick slowly blinked once.

Leslie looked at Dick's left hand again. It was broken, as were all his fingers, his right hand seemed to have faired better, "are you in pain?"

Once again Dick blinked once.

Leslie laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm going to fix that."

Dick tried grab her hand, Bruce was the one who noticed, as the boy's breathing got suddenly heavy. The billionaire took a deep breath "are you scared you won't wake up?" Bruce held Dick's right hand.

The boy slowly blinked once and gently squeezed Bruce's hand.

"You need the pain medication, dear." Leslie said softly

Bruce gently put a hand on Dick's cheek, "do you want me to stay here until you wake up?"

This time Dick blinked quicker than the previous two times.

Leslie could see the fear in Dick's eyes. "I won't start you with a high dose-"

"You need our attention just squeeze me hand." Bruce cut in. "I promise I will stay here with you."

Dick blinked once.

Leslie hooked Dick up to a morphine drip. Before she checked over in injures once again.

Dick struggled against the sleep, Bruce gently stroked Dick's hair as he fell asleep.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Please review :) and thanks to those who have reviewed/faved/followed in the past**


	14. Revelations

Bruce stayed by Dick's side, not even falling asleep himself. Dick was in barely stable condition, his heart rate kept fluctuating and breathing rate was still low, the oxygen mask was helping the boy breathe. Bruce already lost the boy once, for half an hour he thought Dick was dead, he never wanted to fell that pain again. Dick was the third person he loved who died in front of him, the only difference, his parents never came back to him. He was given a second chance with Dick.

As much as he wanted to go and find out who did this to Dick, he promised the boy he would stay with him, it pained Bruce to see the seven broken fingers. Someone wanted answers and either they got them, or Dick passed out from the pain. There were so many questioned he wanted answers, but he knew the answers to them could be that the boy didn't remember, much like himself, he only remembered escaping. What happened to them? Why was Robin targeted?

"Sir," Alfred said approaching Bruce, "I made some French Onion soup for you, I must insist that you eat. I have also put on another pot of coffee for you."

"Thank you Alfred," Bruce said his expression unchanging.

The butler placed the tray that held the soup as well as a fresh cup of coffee next to Bruce, who still remained in his Batman costume.

Bruce reached over and picked up the mug of the hot liquid, it was in a mug from Metropolis that had the Superman 'S' on it, Dick had gotten it for Bruce as joke on a school trip to Metropolis several months ago. Bruce gave the mug a quick bitter sweet smile. He remembered getting the mug, the boy could not keep a straight face when presenting it to him. The billionaire took a long sip of his black coffee.

Alfred let out a sigh as he turned to go back to see Leslie, who refused to leave until she was content that Dick's vitals were stable. Leslie brought a finger to her lip lightly jerked to head to Bruce, who took a spoonful of soup. Alfred let out another sigh, but this time it was one of relief. They watched as Bruce continued to have several more spoonfuls of soup.

Dick started to whimper causing Bruce to put his spoon down, "Dick it's okay, just breath easy." Bruce said gently talking the boy's right hand in his own. The boy looked into Bruce's soft brown eyes and he calmed his breathing. Bruce smiled at the boy. "See, I'm still here. Are you still in a lot of pain?"

Dick slowly blink twice, indicating he was not.

"Are you thirsty?"

Dick blinked once.

"Okay, let me help you." Bruce slipped a hand behind Dick's shoulders and and helped the weak boy sit up. Alfred came over to help Bruce knowing he could not do everything himself. Alfred removed Dick's oxygen mask while the billionaire brought the cup of water with a straw to the boy's lips. After taking a sip of water Dick licked his lips, "here take another sip." This time after he took a sip Alfred replaced the oxygen mask. The boy took took in slow breath. "Are you hungry?" The billionaire questioned

Dick blinked once.

Bruce picked up his spoon and only collecting the broth from the bowl of soup feed to Dick. Bruce was able to get the boy to have a couple of spoonfuls he refused to take more by refusing to open his mouth. Alfred replaced the oxygen mask.

"Come on bud, just a couple more mouthfuls."

Dick shook his head and moaned, he was getting irritated and wanted to rest.

"Okay," Bruce nodded laying the boy back down.

"Bruce, while he's awake I want to speak with him." She didn't wait for Bruce's approval, if she was going to play his game of not taking Dick to the hospital she was at least going to give the boy another thorough exam, this time while the boy was conscious

"Dick, I want you to follow the light your eyes."

There was slight delay, but both eyes followed as they should have. She nodded, it was good, there was no broken bones under his bruised eyes. She gently gently touched Dick's cheeks, this caused the boy to wince. "I don't his cheek bone is broken, just a deep bone bruise. Bruce can you help him sit up again? I want a better look at the injury to the back of his head."

Bruce nodded and sat Dick up, but the boy protested, "Shh, it will be okay Dickie."

Leslie un wrapped the bandage around Dick's head to a clearer view, as soon as she touched it the boy started to whimper. She stopped, nothing felt swollen, so that was good. She then ran her hand down Dick's back to check for more injuries, luckily there were none. "You can lay him back down." She undid the buttons on Dick's pajama shirt (they put him in to be more comfortable). She looked at the faded scar on the lower left side, she remembered when Bruce first brought the boy in and she had to stitch him up.

She started to check his ribs again, they were bruised and broken, but luckily some of the swelling had gone down since he was first brought in. Dick whimpered when her fingers touched a broken rib. "It's okay dear, I'm almost done." She knew the next part would be the hardest, checking his fingers. She placed her hand under under Dick's "can you squeeze my hand?"

Dick shook his head side to side, not even trying.

"Does it hurt when you try?"

Dick blinked once, and tears started to well in his eyes.

"I'm going to stop, but I need to borrow Bruce for a moment, can I?"

Dick blinked once, and then sifted his eyes to Alfred.

"I'll stay until Master Bruce returns." He confirmed with a gentle smile.

Bruce hesitantly got to his feet and followed Leslie.

"Bruce, I know you are against the hospital, but what about my clinic? I want to check his arm, see how badly his wrist and fingers are broken, and I can properly cast it as well."

Bruce's head dropped and he rubbed the back of his neck, "let me change…" he didn't fight her, he knew she was right.

Bruce walked over to Dick first, "I will be right back bud I'm going to change, we are going to take you to Leslie's clinic for some X-rays. It's okay if you fall asleep," Bruce should see Dick was fighting to keep his eyes open.

Bruce quickly changed into a pair of dress slacks and a buttons down shirt, it was all he had down in the Batcave. While he was changing Leslie and Alfred hooked Dick up to the portable oxygen tank, they also made the heart monitor and IV portable.

When he got back he picked up the half sleeping boy, who nestled himself against Bruce's chest, the billionaire held the boy close to him in his strong arms.

Alfred drove Leslie's car while she sat in the backseat with Bruce and Dick. She looked over at Dick who was curled up his head on Bruce's lap.

Bruce waited in the car until Alfred and Leslie came around to help him, they had the oxygen tank and the IV with the morphine. It was a little difficult moving the acrobat, but it was necessary.

Dick moaned as Bruce moved him, and stepped outside into the chilly nighttime air "I'm sorry bud, just a short while longer." Bruce soothed as Leslie unlocked the door.

"Get him inside, it's cold out." She stepped aside to let Bruce and Alfred pass.

Leslie knew that getting the X-rays on Dick's hard would be hard since it would be difficult for him to lay his hand flat. "Lay him flat in one of the beds, I am going to take a chest X-ray as well." She took the X-rays and then look them over. "He has four broken ribs, no damage to his heart or lungs that I can see. His wrist I broken, as we suspected, but it's a clean break as are the breaks to all his fingers, his arm is fractured. I am going to cast it. It's rather difficult to test now, but because of the injury to his head he probably has a concussion.

Dick was looking at the adults as they talked, trying to comprehend what was being said, but right now his brain was foggy.

"Dick can I ask you some questions?" Leslie asked seeing the boy was slightly more aware of what was going on. Leslie started to question him questions on if he was dizzy, had a headache, sensitivity to light and sound. Upon hearing his slow responses she knew he had a concussion. "Just get some rest. I'm going to lower the lights for you," she said seeing him hide his face in a pillow he was propped up against.

Bruce sat by Dick's side once again, he was hoping he would get better, but he knew it could be a long road.

* * *

Bruce walked around the space, he needed to stretch his legs, he looked out the window, he could see the Bat Signal shining in the sky high over the city. It was well past midnight. He felt slight twinge of guilt for not answering it or even contacting Commissioner Gordon, but right now Dick's health was more important, and as it was he had not been around for the past three days.

* * *

 _It was Dick's first day out Robin, it had been a year since Bruce started to train him. The boy had been begging for the past three months to go out with him, but each time he refused, though that never stopped the boy from asking. Bruce appreciated the enthusiasm, but he wanted Dick to be prepared._

 _Batman stood on the roof top with Robin for the first time. Their capes flapped behind them. His new partner had a wide smile on his face. Batman gave him his moment of excitement for being out under the stars in Gotham before making their way to the Bat Signal._

 _"Let's move on," Batman said._

 _As soon as the words left his lips Robin took off to jump from the top of the building to the next on. He watched nervously as the boy as he did this. Between the training he put him through as Robin through and the training Dick was given by his parents the boy was well prepared, but yet he still felt himself holding his breath. He then watched as Robin tucked himself into a ball and land acrobatically on the next roof top. Batman followed and handed next to Robin who had a smile on his face._

* * *

Bruce turned his head when he heard Dick's heart monitor indicate an elevated heart rate. When he turned around he could see Dick tossing and turning in his bed, he was also sweating. The boy was attempting to rip his IV out, this task proved to be difficult as the IV was was in his right arm, and he tried to use his left arm, but not only was his left arm in a cast it was also in a sling.

"Hey, stop that, Dickie, it's okay," Bruce tried to stop Dick, but the boy fought him, "Easy, what's wrong?" The billionaire was worried with the boy's behavior, he pulled the boy into a hug.

Dick tried to push Bruce away, but struggled with this task due to his injuries.

Seeing that Dick was trying to talk Bruce pulled the oxygen mask off the boy's face. "S-stop…" Dick mumbled then started to mumble incoherently as his eyes darted around the room.

"Dick, It's me Bruce. I'm not going to hurt you."

It took several moments, but soon Dick realize what was happening, and the he was safe. He broke down crying, "Make...it...stop..."

"Nothing's happening, you're safe." Holding onto the boy, he could feel Dick's heart racing and ragged breathing.

"No...they're comin' back!" The boy's eyes went wide, before rolling into the back of his head and losing consciousness once again.

Alfred looked to Leslie, "seeing Master Richard act like this I fear he remembers some if not all of what happened to him..."

* * *

 _"When I speak with Commissioner Gordon I want you to stay back and say nothing. Am I clear?" His voice deeper as he spoke the words to how his seriousness._

 _"Yes sir," Robin replied the smile dropping from his face._

 _Batman dropped down on the rooftop before Robin and walked over to Jim Gordon._

 _"Who's the kid?" Jim asked looking over at the boy standing on the edge of the roof behind the Dark Knight._

 _"Don't worry about him." Batman replied._

 _Jim raised an eyebrow. "Well here's the information we have. It's the Penguin again."_

 _"Easy enough." Batman took the file he was given and turned around and left._

 _"If anything happens to that kid..."_

* * *

Commissioner Gordon was always worried about Robin, thought he was too young. Batman always blew him off, but he was right. Bruce looked down at Dick who was still sleeping. His breathing and heart rate once again stabilized, but both were still not a normal levels, but they were getting there.

"I want to get him home and in his own bed," Bruce announced. "I will be bring the required equipment to his to his room," Bruce told her as he looked back down at the boy who started to move a little, but he didn't wake back up. "It's going to be okay Dick." He soothed, he took the cloth off the boy's forehead so that he could rewet it.

"Later in the morning, if he stays stable like this."

Bruce nodded, "tell me honestly, what's his prognosis..." he replaced the cloth on Dick's forehead.

"Beyond the broken bones? We won't know the full extent of his mental trauma until he is awake for more than a few moments, but judging by his outburst I am sure he will suffer some form of PTSD. His concussion could also cause some lingering effects as well. But as I said I won't know more until we can speak with him once he wake up, you might want to consider a psychiatrist-"

"No. That is worse than a hospital."

"Bruce, the boy had clearly been toured he will need to speak with someone."

"He has me."

"Bruce...it's not the same." Leslie walked over to the bed, she gently touched the boy's cheek.

* * *

The sun rose over Gotham. It had been twelve hours since Bruce had come home with Dick. All Bruce wanted to do now was bring Dick back home.

"He should be fine for transportation without his oxygen mask, his breathing rate is well enough." Leslie told him, she took off the boy's oxygen mask and the leeds that were monitoring his heart, as well as his morphine IV line.

Bruce gently shook Dick's right shoulder, "Dickie, wake up it's time to go home."

Dick opened his eyes and looked to Bruce and held his arms up for the billionaire to carry carry him.

With all Dick had done and seen in his young life, it was easy to forget he was still only a child, so Bruce honored the request and carried his young ward—son.

Bruce froze from a moment as Dick nestled himself against his chest, it was the first time he ever contemplated adopting the boy.

* * *

 **A/N: What do you think? We see some more into the past, and we also hear from Dick a little. Bruce has gone full on DaddyBats mode.**

 **Thanks to everyone who read/review/followed/faved so far. I love hearing from everyone to keep it coming~!**


	15. Simple Words

Bruce didn't want to leave Dick, even if Alfred was there with him, but Batman had been missing from Gotham for four days now and he wanted to check in with the Commissioner.

The billionaire had seen the newspapers, people were already wondering what had happened to Batman. Luckily it was well advertised that Bruce Wayne had decided to take a trip to France with his young ward. Bruce had told Alfred to come up with a story if he had gone missing for two days. He had been so worried about Dick that he hadn't bothered to ask Alfred what his cover story was, so he just went with what the tabloid said.

Robin had been by side for over a little over year now, it was strange to be alone. He found he missed Dick's chatting about anything and everything, even if he only half listened sometimes, he never realized how much he enjoyed it.

Batman arrived to the familiar rooftop with the Bat Signal on the top of the police precinct. When he touched down on the rooftop Commissioner Gordon was standing there smoking his cigarette. "You showed up today, there was a pool going if you died, you owe me twenty, any way where's the boy?" he let out of puff of smoke.

The entire time Batman had thought of what to say, but in the end the commissioner deserved to know the truth, as Dick was not going to be out fighting crime anytime soon.

"We got kidnapped," Bruce said.

"And the boy?" Gordon looked Batman in the eyes after not getting the answer he wanted.

"He was injured, he's recovering at his home." he chose to leave out the part where Robin was tortured.

Commissioner Gordon raised an eyebrow, the silent message of 'I told you so' was taken loud and clear.

* * *

 _Dick woke up tied to a chair, he didn't know where he was, so he began to compile a list of what he knew; his utility belt was missing, his domino mask was still in place, and he was tied to a chair alone in a dark room. Dick tested the ropes, he was trained to escape many situations, but the ropes were too tight, to him this meant he was unconscious when he was tied up. If he had been conscious (beside knowing where he was) he would have made sure to expand his chest so that he could loosen the bindings when he took a breath. He looked around the room again, that was when he notice a small red light from most likely a surveillance monitor, he was being watched._

 _His suspicion was confirmed when he heard footsteps, he listened very carefully for the direction that they came from, his left. The footsteps became closer before they stopped, the door slid open rather than opened on traditional hinge. A pale yellow light filled a small area around the door, Dick tried to focus, he saw two silhouettes. The door slid shut and the room was completely dark again._

 _The figures came closer to him, he could feel his heart racing, but he attempted to calm his heart rate as to not alert his captors of his nervousness, but in reality Robin was scared out of his mind._

 _"_ _Nice of you to join us, what took so long?" the voice was deep and sent a chill down Dick's spine._

 _"_ _Who are you?" Dick did his best to keep his voice strong and commanding._

 _"_ _Who gave you permission to speak?" the deep voice said before striking Robin across the face._

 _Dick gasped, and cried out slightly as he felt the sting of the strong hand on his right cheek._

 _"_ _Now, rule one don't speak unless you have permission. And since you seem to keen to talk how about you answer some questions, and trust me you will want to talk."_

 _Robin didn't say anything, he only waited, he needed to seem like he was playing their game._

 _"_ _What's your name?"_

 _"_ _Robin." he said without hesitation._

 _"_ _Your legal name."_

 _Dick narrowed his eyes, he didn't answer, and because of this he learned what happened for not talking. He was struck across the face again, this time mixed with the strong hand was ring that caused a small cut._

* * *

Dick woke up panting and in a cold sweat. "No! Never!"

It was Alfred who was at Dick's side right now, Bruce was out tonight as Batman. "Hush now Master Richard," Alfred placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

It had been one week since both Batman and Robin returned home, the latter of the two was in rougher shape than his mentor. Dick found it difficult to recall the events of what happened, he mostly saw them in his dreams, much like the one he was woke up from.

Dick blinked and looked up at the butler, "Alfred?"

"Yes it's me, Master Bruce is out again tonight, if you would like I can call him back home."

"No." Dick kept to one word answer that he had been giving since coming back.

"Would you like for me to continue to read you _Robin Hood_?" Alfred as with a slight smile.

"Yes," Dick smiled weakly. He enjoyed hearing Alfred read that particular book, it was something about being read _Robin Hood_ in a British accent, and this was a fact Alfred knew very well.

* * *

Today was a better day for Dick (well after the nightmare), his vitals were the strongest they have been, so Bruce decided to get the boy out of his room. Despite having no injuries to his legs Dick still struggled to walk because he had not walked in so long. It wasn't go to be a long walk, just down the hall and back to his room.

"How are you feeling today?" Bruce asked during their walk.

"Fine..." Dick said as he looked around the hallway, it seemed he was having some difficulties remembering, or rather using some words.

"That's good," Bruce said as if 'fine' was a more defined answer. He knew it was easier asking Dick simple questions, because of his current difficulties.

"Do you have a headache?" This had become a routine question.

Dick froze up, why was this so hard? He's been asked this before, but for some reason he could not understand what was said.

"Dick?" Bruce tried to hide his worry, when no answer came.

Dick's legs buckled a little and Bruce caught him easily. The boy had become light headed and combined with his weak legs it caused the balance problem to occur. Then he started to cough before he threw up the very little food he had in his stomach on the floor, though most of it went down the front of the boy's shirt. "Sorry..." he mumbled embarrassed. Dick started to cry a little, his emotions had gotten the better of him. The child's mood had been fluctuating since, some days were better than others, and today was proving to be a bad day.

"It's okay, let's get you cleaned up," Bruce picked the boy up and carried him to the bathroom. "Do you remember when I first meet you?"

"Little…" Dick said, it was true not only was that day a foggy memory on a good day, but after what happened recently it was even more of a weak memory.

"You bleed all over me, so a little vomit is nothing."

Once they got to bathroom Bruce set Dick (who had calmed down by now) down on the closed toilet, and then helped Dick get out of his soiled clothes. He realized that Dick hadn't had proper bathing since coming home, and right now was good time, so he started to fill the tub with water and even some bubbles.

"I am just going to the door to call Alfred." He had to explain his moves to the young boy because it had become very clear several times Dick did not want to be left alone. Before turning his back on the boy he looked at him staring blankly at the water filling the tub. "Alfred, can you come up to Dick's bathroom please." Bruce called, he didn't wait for a response before turning his attention to Dick was was still sitting there in his boxers.

"You're going to feel better after this," Bruce said checking the water temperature, he didn't want the water to be too hot, as he heard stories of people passing out in hot springs or hot tubs, due to dizziness, and since that was already one of Dick's symptoms he didn't want to risk it.

Once the tub was filled Bruce helped the boy into claw foot tub. Dick sank down up to his chin, it did feel good. Bruce was thankful for the waterproof cast Leslie used for Dick's arm.

There was a soft knock at the door, "Master Bruce?" Alfred called.

Bruce was was now sitting on the toilet keeping an eye on Dick who was currently interested in the rubber duck that typically sat there doing nothing. "Come in," Bruce called not getting up or taking his eye off Dick.

"I see you do know how to run a bath or did Mater Richard run it?" Alfred tested.

Bruce chuckled, but chose to ignore the comment and continue on what he wanted to say "He threw up, mostly over himself, but some in hallway. I thought it was best for him to get clean."

"Agreed, sir." Alfred said with a nod, "I shall fetch him some new pajamas and clean the hallway."

"Thank you Alfred," Bruce said.

"Anything for Master Richard." Alfred nodded as he picked up the clothes on the ground.

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce said standing up, "Now let's get you scrubbed up." he rubbed the top of Dick's head.

* * *

Once Dick was cleaned up he had fallen back to sleep in his bed, for a little while. Bruce knew sleep was good for the boy. It was now late afternoon, Bruce found himself resting with one eye open, he was in needed of a good sleep himself, but he refused when Alfred offered since he knew that man would watch over Dick during the night time when he was out as Batman.

Bruce got worried when he looked at Dick was was now awake and staring blankly ahead. The boy was opening and closing his mouth as if he was eating something that was leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

"Dick? Are you okay?" Bruce questioned the boy, he had been awake for five minutes.

No answer came from Dick this time, Bruce watched as the boy's bright blue eyes roll into the back of his head and his body begin to convulse. "DICK!"

Bruce rolled Dick's head onto it's side, keeping it on the soft pillow. The billionaire then watched in horror has Dick's back arched with each convulsion, his typically tanned skin took on a slight blue hue, mostly in his lips. He started to make strange gurgling noises, and struggled to breath, this all lasted less than a minute.

Bruce let out a heavy sigh after the convulsions stopped, only to be followed up by Dick's limbs spasming in a fast jerking motion two minutes later. Bruce knew he had to time everything when it came to a seizure. The boy let out a deep sigh, his breathing once again became normal. Everything lasted around four minutes and to Bruce it was the worse four minutes of his life, even more than the minute he found out the boy died.

Bruce knew what to do, but that didn't mean he was prepared for it. Dick was supposed to be getting better, but a seizure was a step backwards. He laid a hand on Dick's forehead, it was warm. The billionaire was now cursing himself for taking Dick out for a walk, first his legs buckled, and now this.

One minute later, the door opened and Alfred appeared, it took him five minutes to make his way to Bruce, just enough time to miss everything. "Master Bruce?"

"Call Leslie! Dick just had a seizure!" Bruce tried to stay calm incase Dick, woke up, but he needed to speak urgently.

"I shall call her." Alfred quickly made his way to the phone that was on Dick's desk across the room.

"And it appears that he's running a fever."

Alfred had seen Bruce endure a great deal in his life, but to see the man who he raised since the age of ten, now pale and looking lost standing over the unconscious body of the boy who had become a son to him in the past year ripped the old butler's heart out.

"Dick?" Bruce called the boy's name attempting to see if the boy would respond.

The boy looked over at his guardian with a blank expression on his face. He narrowed his eyes.

"Dickie?" Bruce asked again.

Dick closed his eyes and let out a frustrated moan. "Wha'appen?" His words slurred.

It took Bruce a moment to understand he said. "You had a seizure."

Dick narrowed his eyes, he sighed. It was clear he wanted to say something, but he was confused. He had already had already been having a difficult time talking and explaining himself. "...'urt" he finally managed. Before rolling over to face away from Bruce, as if he was embarrassed.

"It's okay," Bruce ruffled the boy's jet black hair.

* * *

Leslie was very worried when she got Alfred's phone call about Dick's seizure. Luckily she had a pair of young doctors just out of medical school who offered to help her if she ever needed it, one was working with her today and she called in the the other before rushing over to Wayne Manor.

She was meet by Alfred at the front door. She could see the worried looked on the butler's face, the face that was always worried due to his surrogate son's nighttime job. This look was completely different, almost as if it was was mixed with fear.

When she arrived to the boy's room she could see that Bruce had already hooked the boy back up to heart monitor. Bruce was sitting by Dick's bedside, his head was in his hands and his elbows were resting on his knees, he looked defeated, and scared, two emotions that were hardly used to describe the man, but this was a unique situation.

"He went back to sleep..." Bruce's voice was hallow.

"That's common," Leslie said in the soothing voice she would typically use for patients and their families.

"His fever?" Bruce questioned.

"While not very common, it's not unheard of, a child is likely to developed one after a seizure. Did he have one before, it could be possible the seizure is because of a fever."

Child, that's what Dick was, why did he seem so much older? "Not that I know of..."

Leslie nodded. She then asked questions about Dick's seizure to fully gather the information. Everything Bruce told her was fairly common, the only symptom that worried her was his fever, but even that might go away soon, she would be worried if it lingered longer.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Dick had rough time after got back home.**

 **Thanks for everyone who has read and** **reviewed so far! I would appreciate if you kept it up!**


	16. The Ultimatum

There was so much going on with Dick right now. Leslie knew how difficult it was to diagnose a brain and injury, especially since she was not a neurologist. She did understand a great deal. She knew now that his seizure was linked to his head trauma. From what Bruce said when Dick was talking his knees buckled, at first she though it had something to do with not walking for over a week, but since he was hit in the back of his head that was linked to balance and coordination and balance, it was most likely a combination of the two, in addition loss of balance could occur even in someone who didn't have the type of head injury Dick had. Leslie was just thankful that his visions as of right now was not affected. These were just the symptoms present now, more could present themselves as well.

Several hours had passed since Dick's seizure and Leslie was happy when the boy's fever slowly disappeared, she even took Dick's off heat monitor, as he had a stable heart rate. Leslie even convinced Bruce to go to sleep in his own bed leaving her to keep watch over the injured boy. The lights were off and the curtains drawn shut to keep the light out.

Dick started to moan and toss and turn in his bed, Leslie touched his shoulder, and she could feel him shaking, she worried he would have another seizure, so she turned the light by his bed on and saw him wide eyed looking blankly at ceiling.

"Richard?" She called.

"Where's Bruce?" He asked in a weak voice, and monotone.

"In his room resting," Leslie said calmly, trying to hide her worry with the blank vacant look on the boy's face.

"Okay..." Dick slipped out of his bed and stumbled past her.

"Richard what are you doing? You need to stay in bed."

"I want Bruce..." he mumbled, in the same monotone voice, as he kept walking.

"Stay here, I will get him."

"No…I go…" He made his way to the door and then struggled to turn the doorknob so Leslie helped him. She was worried for the child, but he knew what he wanted and she knew she couldn't stop him, so instead she followed him to make sure he was safe.

When Dick got to Bruce's door he pushed it open, as it was just lightly shut. Once in the room The boy turned on the lights and made his way to Bruce's bed. The billionaire was wake now and worried when he saw Dick standing there.

"Dick, what are you doing out of bed?"

"Too dark..." he said, this was the first time Bruce hear the boy speak in the strange monotone almost disconnected voice.

"Why didn't you turn the lights on in your room then?" Bruce asked gently, trying to figure out the boy's logic. Dick might have been keeping is words simple, but he understood what was being said.

"Don't know..." Dick shrugged looked around the room dazed, as if looking for something, or someone.

"Come here," Bruce said shifting over making room in his bed for Dick. It didn't take much convincing for the boy to climb into the bed. "Stay here, we can sleep with the lights on, would you like that?"

Dick only nodded and snuggled up close to Bruce catching the man off guard, it was clear the boy was still half asleep or maybe even sleep walking.

Seeing that Dick was safe with Bruce, Leslie went down stairs to bid Alfred good bye before leaving herself.

Never had the boy had a fear of darkness, in fact he hardly showed fear at all, and to see him scared worried Bruce. Even when he first had nightmares back when the billionaire took the boy in, Dick never climbed into bed with him. He was just fine after he calmed down with some hot chocolate or warm milk. This was something completely different now.

Bruce covered Dick up with the blanket so that all you could see was his ebony black hair.

* * *

 _Bruce woke up to the sounds of screaming. It was a young boy, it was familiar._

 _"_ _Never!" a voice called out followed by the sound of a crack. The voice cried out on pain. "Stop…"_

 _"_ _Robin!" Bruce called out recognizing the voice._

 _"_ _I will stop when you tell me who Batman is…"_

* * *

Bruce woke up in a cold sweat. It was the second time he had this dream. In the past week he had not allowed himself to do so.

He looked over at Dick who was still curled up and sleeping soundly. Bruce gently placed a hand on the boy's head, as if he was checking to make sure the boy was actually there and not a figment of his imagination.

Bruce closed his eyes and sighed, Robin tried, but the question was did he succeed in keeping their secret? Why did the torture stop? Not that he cared, Dick was safe. There were moments when he considered not allowing Dick to be Robin anymore, but Bruce knew how much that position meant to him, he earned it. He worked hard, heck he still worked hard, and still managed to pull off a perfect GPA in school. Sure a couple of nights Dick would stay back to work on his school work, mostly at Bruce's request. Sure he had talks with Dick's teachers that he had fallen asleep in class. Sure there were some nights he would sneak out, but he still followed orders. And Batman's orders is what caused Robin's injuries, keep our secret. Don't tell anyone. He did that, and payed the price, he could not help but to feel responsible. As much as Bruce wanted to keep his life as Batman a secret, he didn't want Dick to die protecting it.

The boy started to moan a little. "Shh, it's okay."

"Never..." he started to breath heavily before letting out scream. "Stop!" He bolted up right in the bed and looked around confused.

Bruce felt his own heart race. The words, the same from his nightmare.

"Why'm I'm here?" Dick was puzzled as to why he was in Bruce's room.

"You came in last night and told me your room was too dark," Bruce explained

"Oh, don't 'member" Dick's voice had a frustrated tone to it.

"I believe you were sleepwalking, many people who sleep walk don't remember what they did while sleep walking."

"Sorry," Dick looked away from Bruce.

"Why are you sorry?"

"For coming in…"

"Oh no need to worry bud. When I was a younger I remember I had a nightmare and my parents let me sleep in their bed with them, it's completely normal. I would sleep in my parents bed when I was scared when I was younger."

"You? Scared?"

Bruce looked at the boy, that was when he realized he never told him the story on how he picked his vigilante name. "I have little story for you, on why picked the name Batman. When I was about seven I was playing in the yard, and there's this well. I went to look down the well and fell into a cave, the same cave we work out of now, as I fell in bats flew past me, it scared me so much. My dad came down and got me. I closed my eyes the whole way back up. I've been scared of bats ever since. That night I had nightmare about bats, I went to my parents room and climbed into bed with them. That's when my dad told me something that has stayed with my until this day; sometimes we fall, but Waynes never stay down." Bruce looked at the boy, "and as far as I am concerned Graysons never stay down either. You're a strong kid Dick. I'm proud of you, you never let anything keep you down."

"What if I told?" Dick ask abruptly. "…ruined everything…"

"What are you talking about?" Bruce had a feeling what he was talking about and he had been dreading this conversation. In the past week Dick had not spoken about what happened, or what could have happened.

The boy held up his casted hand, "This…what if…"

"I care more about you than my secret."

"But…" Dick tried to rebuttal his guardian.

Bruce looked down at the worried boy, "Dick, I mean it when I say you mean more to me than my secret." the billionaire reached over to bedside table and opened the top drawer and pulled out a light gray folder with Gotham's city seal on it and laid it on Dick's lap. The label read 'Grayson, Richard J.'

"What's this?"

Bruce knew Dick would have a hard time opening the folder with his injured hands, so he opened it for him, "Will you allow me to adopt you?"

Dick looked down at the paper in the folder, it read 'Petition for Adoption' and it was already signed by Bruce.

"I don't want to replace your father, I just want you to know I will always be there for you."

Dick started to cry, he used the back of his right hand to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"For real?" Dick sniffled.

"For real," Bruce pulled the boy into a tight hug and ruffled the boy's hair.

* * *

Bruce hadn't gone out as Batman, much since after they returned from being captured and Dick's injuries. In that time though he did continue to monitor the city. He made his way to his computer to see a message flashing. It was odd. The League knew he was on a slight break until Robin healed unless there was a world wide crisis.

A black screen came up and distorted voice spoke: " _Bruce Wayne, if you value your secret and Richard Grayson's life then meet me at the coordinates I have sent you with $15 million."_

* * *

 **A/N: I know it's been a while since I have updated this fic. Got into a little funk and didn't know where I wanted to go. I have an idea now and hopefully will update more regularly. Don't forget to check out my other fics! Thanks for everyone who has read, reviewed, and followed this fic! See you next chapter! I'd appreciate a** **review :)**


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